Decisions After a Decade
by LadyIchaIcha
Summary: After Tsunade's death, and under Danzo's regime as the new hokage, Sakura flees Konoha, leaving the village behind, forever. Settling into a far off island town practically void of shinobi, it would be ten years before she saw a familiar face again. (AU-ish Kakashi x Sakura, contains violence and lemons)
1. Entrapment

Konoha's history was completely altered after the Pein Invasion. Tsunade, having not fully recovered her chakra levels, succumbed to the side effects of her lifestyle, and with her passing, Danzo was the next elected hokage. Under his intense regime, the shinobi of Konoha were now his to manipulate, pawns in his own personal game of retribution. With receiving word that Uchiha Sasuke was currently his number one threat after discovering the truth behind Itachi's secret mission, Danzo forced many into doing his bidding. Whether he held a kunai up to their throat, or those of their loved ones, he always got his way. His dictatorship was not only limited to shinobi, but medical nins as well. Sakura in particular, seeing as how Danzo originally propositioned Shizune first, but with her undying loyalty to Tsunade, refused.

Sakura would never forget that day.

Shortly after lunch ended, she found herself being suddenly grabbed by two masked ANBU members, and hauled off into a dark holding cell, enforced with chakra as to keep those inside… utterly powerless. With the ringing in her ears as the heavy metal door slammed shut, Sakura felt around in the dark, eventually finding her footing. Stepping cautiously over towards the nearest wall, she followed it's border until she came to what felt like a window of sorts.

Immediately banging on the pane of glass in front of her, Sakura shouted for help… something just didn't feel right. Beginning to panic, Sakura tried to calm herself down enough to concentrate all of her chakra to her hands in order to bust the glass and crawl her way out. But just before she could deliver her blow, a light was finally turned on. Flinching away at the sudden brightness, Sakura let her eyes slowly adjust, noticing two people standing in the room behind the two-way mirror. As she realized who the two figures in the room were, Sakura slumped against the glass in fear, her blood suddenly draining away from her head, all too scared to know what was going on… and why she had to be privy to it. Although she couldn't hear anything, Sakura tried beating on the glass once more, but no matter how hard she tried, neither of them seemed to even know she was there. She couldn't even muster chakra to her hands, her pathways had been blocked temporarily by a few swift taps by one of the ANBU nin before throwing her in here. It was all Sakura could do as she looked on helplessly.

Standing in the middle of the room, arms and legs chained to the ceiling and the floor, was Shizune… Danzo standing before her. Sakura could tell she had been put through the wringer by the looks of her bruised and battered face. With a broken nose, some missing teeth, a busted lip, and two black eyes, Sakura's heart cringed for her beloved senpai, crying out as she watched Danzo unsheathe his katana. Using its tip, the old bastard lifted up Shizune's chin as they exchanged a few heated words, their brief conversation ending when Shizune spat blood directly into his face. Before Sakura could inhale to scream, she watched as Danzo's blade pierced straight through the brunette's chest. Her eyes widening in fear, tears falling from them as she screamed out, beating on the glass as she tried to force her chakra back to her immediately. _This could not be happening…_

Pulling the blade out slowly, Danzo watched as the light left Shizune's eyes, her lifeless head drooping forward as the crimson stain beneath her widened. He had never held any true respect for kunoichi's anyway, and as such didn't bat a lash as he took the life of one so ruthlessly. Turning his attention towards Sakura now, knowing she lay just behind the mirror along the wall, he slowly walked over to the glass partition, smearing the fresh blood as he scraped his blade across the glass unhurriedly over Sakura's trembling face. As the speakers in her room clicked on, she could her the deep rumble of his chuckle as he cleaned his blade with the sleeves of his haori and returned it to it's sheath in his cane before propping himself up, staring dead into the space where her eyes would be.

Cornered by fear, Sakura became the next pawn in Danzo's army. That day he had forced her into becoming the head of his research and testing facility. Working her to the bone with almost no sleep, Sakura was held hostage, Danzo milking her and her abilities to concoct new war grade poisons and toxins… and testing them, sending her prisoner after prisoner to experiment on. When she was alotted time to sleep, it didn't find her anymore, all the faces, the countless faces, becoming imprinted in her memory forever. She wasn't a healer anymore. She was a betrayer. She was a_murderer._ Holding herself accountable for her weakness, but too scared for her life to do anything about it, she begrudgingly let this continue for days…? Weeks…? Months…? She didn't know anymore. What she did know was that she had lost contact with the outside world, forced to play this unfair game. Fearing no end to this tortuous life she now led, she even thought of ending her own life, hoping that would kink up the old man's plan, but she was even too scared to do that. She was a kunoichi, but she held no power anymore… yet again, she felt helpless. But that would all change as soon as her next test subject was delivered to her.

There before her, strapped to her operating table, was the one and only… Uchiha Sasuke.


	2. Escape

When their eyes met that day, an uncomfortable exchange between them occurred. Blinking rapidly as her eyes readjusted to the unimaginable sight before her, Sakura gulped as she eyed the masked 'medic' that had wheeled Sasuke inside and was now standing guard like the placid drone he was programmed to be. She assumed his looming presence meant he was to oversee the procedure as well, no doubt having been briefed on her and the subject's personal ties to one another. He was insurance. Insurance that Danzo would get his way… _again_.

Reviewing the file, Sakura's mind raced as she read every detail, her chest tightening as she finished. She was to inject a starting dose of Thiopental and wait until the subject became lucid, then under the effects of the truth serum, she was to extract all information about his past whereabouts to determine if Orochimaru and his protege, Kabuto, were still alive. After the information was extracted, Uchiha Sasuke was then to be 'terminated'. It was obvious to her then, what angle Danzo was playing at. He was _threatened_.

With two of the three legendary sannin dead, it was eating him up not knowing if the third lay out there somewhere… waiting for his turn to show up and claim his right as Hokage. The geezer had always been jealous of her shishou's team and the respect that earned them each their infinite namesake. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were three of the best ninja the shinobi world had ever seen, and as such, someone like Danzo should be afraid. _Very_ afraid. For if the snake user was still out there, hiding somewhere in the darkness, he was sure to be waiting for the most opportune moment to strike at his prey. For someone like Orochimaru, Danzo would be an easy meal, picked clean before he even knew what was happening. Sakura could only hope Sasuke could fill in the blanks for her, granted he would even talk to her now.

Having not seen the raven haired Uchiha for almost four years, Sakura looked down at the somewhat familiar figure. He had certainly grown into his body in his latter years; now much taller, hands larger, feet bigger, and his hair had grown out as apparent by the sweat dripped bangs clinging to the sides of his grimy face. The rest of his body exhibited various lacerations and deep bruises, his otherwise porcelain skin caked with the remnants of mud and dried blood, no doubt belonging to some of his would be captors. Apparently catching the infamous Uchiha had been a struggle of epic proportions, never knowing the man to let himself be caught under any other circumstances. His shirt had been ripped open, it's tattered remains still bunched around his waist as he lay immobile, but conscious, on the gurney.

Besides the curious absence of a particular curse seal she knew the man to have at the junction of his neck and shoulder, he certainly seemed to be the Uchiha Sasuke she knew once before. Noting the fleeting glare of bewilderment and unsureness behind his otherwise cold and vacant gaze, Sakura blinked away the tears welling up in her eyes as bittersweet memories flooded her mind. Showing _some_ iota of emotion, letting him know that she had not changed sides during the power struggle their hometown was currently under, she swiftly wiped away the moisture, pinching the corner of her jade orbits as if in frustration.

As she feigned reading the the files again on her new test subject, the wheels inside her head spinning with a speed that would rival even the genius, Nara Shikamaru. This was her chance.

She knew she wouldn't be able to make it out of the dark recesses of this hell hole alive with only herself and the lack of weapons kept around her… but with Sasuke, they might have a fighting chance. _Might_.

But there was only one way to find out. Going into medic mode, Sakura nodded her head as if understanding the orders on the papers before her, quickly glancing down at her old teammate before acknowledging her security detail.

"If you're going to stay and watch, then I expect you to help. You know who this is don't you?" She asked the observant party, the creepily happy ANBU mask turning her stomach as she kept her tone authoritative and unyielding.

"If you think I can handle this bastard on my own, than you are sorely mistaken. Now if you'll please assist me, I'd like to get on with my day. Hand me that syringe on the table beside you, I need the larger gauge needle for this specific injection. A little goes a long way, but a lot goes even farther…" The pinkette glared with a devious saccharine sweetness as the idiotic ninja turned his back to reach for said object leaving his guard down long enough for her to summon chakra to her hand. With a quick hit to the back of his head, he slumped over under his dead weight, the Haruno catching him before a ruckus could be heard by the two ANBU standing guard outside the locked door.

Slowly lowering his body to the stone floor, she made quick work of the straps securing the Uchiha, ripping them completely off with her chakra enhanced strength. Breathing out an unbelievable sigh of relief, Sasuke sat up hesitantly and eyed the rose haired medic in confusion.

"We don't have much time. Grab what you can use, and we can make a break for it. I can't-"

"Sakura?" The Uchiha questioned as if just putting a name to the face, grabbing ahold of her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "What the… what is going on?"

"Sasuke, I know you have questions, but it can wait. We need to leave… _now_."

Just as he was about to cut in with another question, she heard movement from outside the door. Snatching a handful of toxin loaded syringes from a drawer behind her, and the last two soldier pills she had stashed away in secrecy, Sakura grabbed the frazzled Uchiha, pulling him off the gurney and onto his feet.

"They know something's up. We have to hurry."

"Hurry where?! Where are we?"

Sighing as she pulled them over towards the far corner of the testing cell, they hid in the shadows behind the door, their bodies pressing closely together as to not be detected once the door was finally opened. "We are trapped in a labyrinth of underground tunnels Danzo has built beneath the Hokage tower. I haven't been allowed out of this room in so long, so I'm not too sure of my way around…" She trailed off, looking up at him desperately, trying to ignore the warm puffs of his breath against her cheeks. "But if I have to blast my way through every wall in order to get us out of here, I _will_."

Just then footsteps were heard as the ANBU guards unlocked the door and stormed in. Grabbing Sasuke by the arm once again, they quietly stepped around the door, fleeing out into the hallway, Sasuke following closely behind. When they ran down the tunnel towards the stairwell, they were met by a four man team of ANBU nin descending down the stairs in their direction.

"Here." She called over her shoulder, handing the Uchiha heir a small round object from her side pouch. "Eat this. Quickly. You must be running low on chakra 'cause you look like hell."

"Thanks." He deadpanned, shoving the soldier pill into his mouth, chewing forcibly as the acrid taste filled his senses. "I-Is this… gonna kill me?! It tastes like ass!"

"Shut up and chew! We have to get out of here and I need your help to do that!" she whispered acidly around the pill she was chewing herself.

Within seconds, the Uchiha looked down at his hands astonishingly, feeling the rush of energy swell from his bloodstream and into every fiber of his body, his knuckles clenching as he stood with his back to the Haruno. The ANBU they had slipped past earlier were now coming up from behind, effectively pinning them between two teams of the faceless assassins.

"This isn't gonna be easy. I'll cover your rear."

"Perv." Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes at the Uchiha's poor choice in words at the moment.

"Crazy ass woman." He added detestably, sneering at her poor timing while his fingers quickly formed the seals for his Chidori.

With the air now charged with the Raikiri's burst of electricity, the chirping sounds filled the stone walls they were trapped between, the flickering blue light signaling the start to their battle.

Sasuke was the first to make a move, charging at the first ANBU unlucky enough to meet the wrath of his Chidori. The commotion behind her only goaded her on as Sakura summoned chakra to her feet, stomping as the ground beneath her shook, dislodging a huge slab of stone into the air and kicking it into the team of masked nin before her. Hitting the most forefront ANBU square in the chest, he toppled backwards, falling against his other comrades as they took the brunt of the force as well. With one down, the other three charged at her, one with his katana out, ready to strike. The azure glow of her chakra blade around her arm stopped the metal blade as they locked in a stand still, her feet moving to take an opportunistic cheap shot between the man's legs, as he and the blade quickly fell thereafter. With two of her four down, she chanced a quick glance over her shoulder to find Sasuke fending off the last ANBU, the Uchiha quick on his feet as he eluded each brazen attack easily betwixt the narrow halls as if it were nothing.

Giving her the confidence boost she needed, she turned her attention back towards the two men she still had left; one on the floor looking for certain pieces of his manhood after her chakra laced foot nearly left a footprint in his nether regions, the other, sputtering blood as the massive stone lay pressed against his chest. Grabbing the ANBU closest to her, she used his shoulders as a springboard and summersaulted over him, her toes barely grazing the roof of the cramped space they were fighting in, landing atop the shoulders of the second nin, her legs around his neck. With a quick clamp of her thighs and a flick of her lower body, the pinkette broke the neck she was perched upon. Catching her footing as the body beneath her fell, she eyed the last mask as it stood in defense, waiting for her next move. But before the man could finish forming the hand seals for his jutsu, Sakura had to hop back, away from the bright ball of fire coming towards them, catching her assailant in the blast of Sasuke's Katon Gōkakyū no Jutsu.

After the heat from the blaze settled, the panting medic looked up through her protective crouching stance just as Sasuke extended a hand to help her to her feet. Taking the calloused hand in her own, she was pulled up and nodded thankfully to her escapee partner, turning her nose up at the stench of burning flesh. Ascending the stairs three at a time, they ran up the never ending spiral staircase until their ears started to pop with the relief of pressure. They were getting close.

When they came to the door at the top of the stairwell, they halted, listening closely for any kind of movement. To their dismay, it was quiet… _too_ quiet for their liking. Something curious was going on, and judging by the way Sasuke was narrowing his eyes, he had picked up on it as well.

"What are you thinking" Sakura whispered, glancing at the walls around them.

"I think they know we're coming. We weren't exactly quiet. They'd be piss poor shinobi to have missed the ruckus you and your clodhopping feet made down there."

"Shut it, Uchiha. Jealousy isn't good for the skin, ya know. I'm strong, get over it… it isn't exactly new information around here."

"Maybe not to _you_. Seems Orochimaru was right about you and Tsunade. You're quite similar. Don't tell me you've picked up other annoying habits from her as well? I've heard some interesting stories…"

At the mentioning of her former mentor, Sakura's brow creased at the bitter reminder. Pushing those thoughts aside, she she sighed, sending him a sideways glance. "So… if they knew we were coming, we're about to walk into a trap, right?"

"Probably."

"Great" She huffed, sliding her gloved fingers across the wall behind her, tapping lightly before pushing her ear flush against the dewy slate.

"What are you-"

"Shh! I can hear vibrations…"

"Company?"

"No. _Mechanical_."

Stepping back she looked at Sasuke while channeling mass amounts of chakra to both her fists.

"If memory serves me right, these tunnels were a new addition Danzo installed under the Hokage tower after he took over."

"Yeah, you mentioned that already…"

"_Well_," she snapped, "I've worked in this building for years, the bottom floor to the hospital is mostly triage… but in the back of the ground floor are all the generators for the entire building, and most of the village. If I can hear them, we must be close."

"And…?"

"Baaka! If they expect us to walk through that door, they must be ready for some sort of ambush, knowing we'd take the most direct way out of here while fleeing. They may not all be push overs like those sorry excuses for ANBU we ran into…"

"Yeah, they weren't much better than chuunin. Konoha seems to have lowered it's standards since I've left. Well… that, or I'm just better than expected."

"Settle down there Mr. Ego… Danzo is desperate for subordinates, those probably _were_ gullible chuunin he dressed up to scare those ninja who know all too well what those masks represent and run at the site of them."

"So, what? You're just gonna punch through the wall and escape through the maintenance shafts or something?"

"Or something." She responded flippantly. "Once I bust through, I'll destroy the generators… then, it's lights out. You still have your summons, right?" Sakura smirked, raring back her fists.

She didn't need to look at the Uchiha to know he felt underestimated as she heard the low grumble of a scoff. It was good to know they were finally on the same page, each of them obviously having something to prove to one another. With a double punch through the thick stone walls, Sakura cleared a path for them as they raced through the cover of the resulting dust cloud and into the generator room. With a few more punches and a good swift kick to the breaker box just in case, the whole building went black. With one last punch through the back wall of the machine room, Sakura nearly fell over at the influx of fresh air hitting her face. They had made it.

It had been so long since she had been above ground, she was beginning to think the sky didn't exist anymore; having been kept away like some sort of creature stowed beneath the surface to live out its remaining days. Taking in a deep breath of that cool night air, she gazed at the stars, their beautiful twinkling comforting her the slightest bit given their situation at the moment. With all the noise she just made, Danzo would soon send his men flooding to the generator room in hopes of getting the lights turned back on for the building… and getting his prisoners back. Without so much as a word, Sasuke fell into place as he bit his thumb between his teeth and slammed his hand down onto the sodden earth.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

With a loud pop, Sakura felt the ground tremble as Sasuke's summons appeared. It was very dark outside, so it was hard to tell what it was exactly, not to mention it didn't talk or make a sound… only the trembling of movement could be felt through her feet as the soil in front of her seemed to shift under its weight.

"S-Sasuke…?" Sakura prodded, gripping onto his shoulder frightened at the prospect of what he had just pulled out of thin air.

"Yeah? What're you waiting for? Hop on, we've gotta go."

"Hop where… exactly?!" she whispered in ire extending a hand, motioning towards the black wall she looked at.

Just then, a pair of glowing yellow eyes about the size of the holes she had just punched through the walls swooped down to meet her gaze. Whimpering slightly in squeamish fear as she felt a tongue flick out and barely tap at her forehead, she dug her nails into the flesh of Sasuke's shoulder.

"What… the hell… is that?! That had better not be a-"

"_Snake_?" Sasuke lilted into her ear with irritating smugness at having caused the Haruno to once again return to her girlish ways.

"S-Sn… sna… snake?!"

"Heh. What'd you expect? A bunny…?"

Growling in frustration, Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, choosing to forego her lecture at the moment with the giant serpents' mouth no more than a foot away from her face. She thought it wise to keep quiet and not give the creature any means of retaliation at its summoners request… should he choose to do so at the moment. It _was_ Uchiha Sasuke, after all, so there were bound to be lingering trust issues.

As Sasuke hopped upon the flat of the reptile's head, he extended another hand, showing her it was alright to follow him, but before her hand could meet with his, she was grabbed from behind. Inhaling through her teeth, she bit back the slight pain as she felt the cold steel of the kunai press down against her jugular.

"Don't move, Haruno." The dark voice cooed sickeningly in her ear.

Rolling her eyes at the laughable effort at trying to intimidate her, Sakura played her first card, whimpering just a little bit and delicately squirming in the nins arms. She just needed to stroke his inflated ego in hopes of deterring his attention while she reached for her side pouch.

"Ah! No…" The deceptively wilting flower whined with all the femininity she could muster.

At the sound of a perverted groan against her neck, Sakura wiggled her free fingers into the pouch, and uncapped a syringe.

"Mmm… it's been awhile since I've felt a woman's body so close to mine, my little cherry. It's a good thing I found you before the other's arrived. Seems I get you all to myself now…" The man breathed, nuzzling against the nape of her neck.

As his head delved into the crook between her neck and shoulder, she swung her arm up and over her head, jabbing the toxin loaded syringe deep into his own exposed neck. His screams almost deafened her left ear as her thumb pressed down on the plunger administering the poison, pulling out of his hold as he dropped the kunai, falling to the ground writhing in pain.

"Please!" She heatedly spat over the nin currently twitching in the fetal position. "As if you'd be so lucky, ya creepy jerk!"

"Sakura!" Sasuke called, his snake swooping down as he grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her atop its head. Slithering through the streets, the two reunited teammates quickly made their way towards the city gates in hopes of escaping further onslaught.

Once they blasted through the large tori gates, the serpent made haste through the dense surrounding forrest, seeking a safe place to hide for the time being while they regained their bearings. Even though they were both seasoned shinobi, they shared an anxious look as realization struck them. They had just barely escaped almost certain death back there.

As the gargantuan head lowered them to the ground before its conspicuous form disappeared in a poof of smoke, they raced up the trees to the towering branches above, looking back at their village. They could see the emergency spot lights searching through the streets for any signs of their whereabouts, the ANBU undoubtedly on their trail, the giant serpent not exactly making a clean getaway.

After sharing an awkward silence, both of them neglecting to waste time on idol chit chat and catching up on lost years, Sasuke grabbed the rose haired medic by the shoulders, looking down on her with concern, feeling the pressure of the enemy closing in on them by the second.

"Where is everyone? You can't be the only sane one left… where are the rest of the teams… the jonins? What's going on?"

"I don't know… I was working late in the hospital one night when they came for me. They locked me up… and… and-"

"And what?!"

"He killed Shizune in front of me… that's how he kept me under his thumb, I was scared… and I thought that-"

"Thought what, Sakura?! Hurry!"

"I haven't seen the other's. No one else was at the hospital that night, and I haven't seen anyone else for weeks, months even. And when no one came for me… I thought they were…"

Her words trailed off, looking down at the branch they shared as she struggled with what else to say. She had thought that someone, _anyone_, would have come for her. That the other jonin in the village would have fought back against Danzo's regime… but she knew nothing. She saw nothing. She had been isolated for so long, she almost couldn't remember life before this point, feeling like a heartless droid herself most times. Her heart growing colder by the day. She had felt abandoned and let down. The other's had to have been dead to not come and find their friend… their comrade.

"I-I thought they were… dead."

Sasuke looked at her as if she had just started speaking a different language, he not following a word of it as he looked at her with a raised brow.

"They're not dead, Sakura. I _will_ find them… and Danzo _will_ pay."

"But you don't know what he's capable of! He's-"

"I know enough, Sakura. Trust me. I may have let you and the village down by leaving all those years ago, but I have learned the ugly truth behind this town, and that crusty old fuck is the ringleader behind it. _All_ of it."

"What…?" She gasped, suddenly confused as to what he was referring to. How did someone who's been absent for years know what was going on? Feeling left out again, she pulled on his shoulder as he moved to run.

"Tell me, Sasuke! You owe me at least that much, you arrogant son of a bitch! Don't go running off again without letting me help you this time. If you have a plan, I want in on it."

"No. This is a suicide mission. I can't have you there. This is _personal_." Sasuke seethed, his bitter tone dripping from his clenched jaw.

Even in the darkness, Sakura could see the angered lines on his face appearing across his pale flesh. All he was missing was the foam at his mouth… little more than a rabid dog chomping at the bits to be let loose. It had frightened her in the smallest of ways, but not as much as she felt hurt at still not being seen as any use to the Uchiha.

"But I can help!" She pleaded, her voice cracking under the strain of her adamance.

"No. Don't argue with me. Look…" Sasuke pointed eastward, "Follow the forrest and run until you can't run any longer. When you feel like you're too tired to go on, _keep going_. You need to get far away from here, I can't promise you'll be safe if you stick around. You reek of that place, and they'll have their hounds easily trace you down and drag you back, or worse…" He paused, taking a breath to look down at her reassuringly. "If you come across any body of water, walk through it. It'll throw them off your trail long enough for you to-"

"I'm a ninja too, you baka! Don't you think I know how to keep someone off my trail?! I'm not a twelve year old crybaby anymore!"

Grabbing the kunoichi at the elbows, he looked down into her honest orbs and flashed her the faintest of smiles, calming her ferocious attitude.

"I know, Sakura. Now go… I can hear them coming. If we split up, it'll be harder for them to catch us both. Now run, and don't you stop running!"

Leaping away from her, Sasuke hopped through the branches, the wood moaning beneath his feet as he fled.

"Oh, and Sakura…" The Uchiha paused after he turned around, gazing at her begrudgingly defeated form as if it would be the last time they would ever see each other, "Thank you."

With a slight nod, he was gone.

Again.

After muttering that very same spitefully eloquent phrase he had used on her before, no less.

Hearing the faintest flood of footsteps approaching, Sakura took off in the opposite direction, heading east. With each stride, the Haruno sent chakra streaming into her legs, willing the muscles to flex harder, pushing herself to top speed as she threaded her way through the dense canopy. She would not get caught again. She would never return to that building… at least not while Danzo was in charge. And even if he wasn't, Sakura wasn't sure she'd ever escape the horrors she had endured while in captivity.

She had been scarred. Marred for life. A wound even she couldn't heal. And the only thoughts that filled her mind were of escape. Speeding through the night she ran like her life, what little she had left in her, depended on it.

* * *

It was still dark outside when she reached the coast. Stopping to catch her breath, she could hear the far off dinging of buoys out on the waters surface. Following the lights of the various ships and boats docked along the creaking wood they were tethered to, she trudged over toward them, careful not to be seen.

She had ran through every stream she crossed and was still sopping wet… and exhausted. As her heavy feet brought her closer to a large shipping vessel that was about to deport, she could feel her chakra running dangerously low as the effects of the soldier pill she had ingested hours prior were causing her system to crash. She needed a safe place to rest. Eyeing a stack of shipping crates, Sakura carefully slipped onboard and sank between the wooden containers, her head falling back as her mind tried to keep up with her body and its flight responses.

She didn't care where this boat was going, she was just eager to leave. Ready to put some considerable distance between her and the country she called home. As angry as she had been with Sasuke for telling her to leave, she was more angry at herself for listening to him. After all these years, he still didn't think she could help… and this time, she wasn't 100% sure she even could in her state. That horrible tyrant of an old man had rattled her, and her resolve. For the first time since before her training with Tsunade, she was doubting herself and her abilities.

Her train of thought was soon interrupted by the bellowing blow of the ships' horn as she felt the engines kick into gear. Sliding down, farther out of view, Sakura laid low as she heard the distant chattering of the crew as they readied the ship to launch. As their voices faded, the tired medic released a heavy sigh, pulling her knees into her chest as she cradled her face in her palms. She had escaped… and deep down, a part of her was relieved.

Sliding her hands through her hair, she yanked off her soggy hitai-ate, her heavy lids observing the metal forehead protector as her dirty fingers traced over the emblem in detestable sorrow. She felt like a coward. A coward who chose running away over staying to help an ally. But she couldn't ignore the part of her that was all too happy to flee the horrific reminder of home.

_'Home'_ she laughed. She no longer had one. She didn't even dare peeping out from her hiding spot to venture a last look as the ship made its way out to sea. Sakura _never_ wanted to see Konoha again.

Clenching her forehead protector in her fists, she looked down at the reminder, sneering as if the gesture was burning her hands just at the contact. Withdrawing another syringe from her side pouch, her teeth gripped ahold of its cap as she lowered the angled needle down to the metal plate. Slowly, but surely, she demonstrated her resolve; etching a strike through the leaf engraved on the plate that had meant so much to her. Recapping the syringe and placing it back in her pouch for safe keeping, the defaulted medic now stared down at her handiwork.

Sakura had made her decision; deciding she could no longer be part of a village that had abandoned her and all hope of remaining the thriving nation it once was. She had been betrayed, by her own kind no less… used as a tool, and treated like the monster she had become. Shoving the headband back in her pouch and out of sight, she closed her eyes as the tears welled up. So much had happened in the last few hours, she wasn't even sure how long it would be before the reality of the situation would set in, and at the moment, she was too numb and weary to care.

With the pitch and yaw of the ship as it moved out into deeper water, Sakura felt her body calm as she curled up against the crate, the waves lulling her to sleep. A sleep that was filled with memories of who she was and where she came from… just vague distant images now.

She was no longer Haruno Sakura of Team 7, protege of the Godaime, and chief medic nin… she hadn't been for a long time. Now that she was finally free from the confines of her home turned prison, she would make the best of her new life… wherever it took her.

She was, for the first time in her life… _free_.


	3. Home

When she awoke, it was early morning, the sickly gray blue of the sky and the smell of fish leaving much to be desired as far as wake up calls were concerned. Wiping the corners of her weary eyes, Sakura inhaled deeply, calming herself as she stood and gathered her bearings. Peeping out cautiously from behind the crates, she could see other docks as they passed by, the port city they were about to dock in was well hidden along the backside of the tropical looking island that jutted out of the water so victoriously behind the city scape.

Looking around, Sakura could see two smaller islands off in the distance, one on each side of the larger island in her field of view. Standing tall, the vast mountainous island before her was a large chunk of jagged rock covered with luscious jungled canopies bespeckled by tall colorful buildings, most densely concentrated along the water front. It was a beautiful island in all honesty.

Choosing to use what little cover she had left before sunrise, Sakura summoned chakra to her feet, and lept over the side of the boat. Skidding across the water as she jumped down onto the choppy sea surface, the barely awakened Haruno started to sprint towards the shoreline, all too eager to be on terra firma once again.

As she made landfall, she crept her way up the sandy coastline in her soggy sandals towards what seemed to be the main pier in the middle of town, hoping to find out whereabouts she was, exactly. With each waning creak of the old and salt corroded planks of the boardwalk below her sandaled foot, Sakura could feel the disorienting sway of the wooden structure she paced. Looking up she took in all the quaint and vibrantly painted seaside dwellings, stacked upon each other in close proximity. All huddled around the booming port city, she noted the numerous balconies were riddled with everything from towels and potted plants, to fishing nets and dining tables. With the squawking of the gulls above her, Sakura grinned slightly, favoring the idea of living somewhere she could see herself wanting to frequent on vacation… it really seemed like a laid back town. But as she approached the center of town, the pinkette walked under the wooden archway that read "_Welcome to Port Jichi, of Inpei Island"_.

Sakura's mouth fell open at once, gawking at the sign as she passed beneath it, for she recognized the island right away. To her knowledge, Inpei Island was actually the largest of three islands that comprised the Tsubasa Island chain, recalling a certain excursion under strict orders to collect a mushroom species that was only extant on the smallest island in the chain, Yosei Island. This specific indigenous species of mushroom was famous for growing in concentric circles, commonly known as "fairy circles".

According to the stories she was told as a little girl, fairies once inhabited Yosei Island, but vanished soon after merchants moved into the area, claiming it as their own. Initially trying to save their home, the fairy population worked together, each tying a rope down to a point on the island as they flew upwards together, pulling the island up out of the water in hopes of keeping ships off its shores. But as time passed, the relentlessly invasive settlers became impatient and violent towards the fairies, and the island fell back down into the water. After that, no one knows what happened to the remaining mystic creatures, but according to legend, the mushrooms grew up in the patterns around the tether points used by the fairies as a reminder of the struggle for their safety and once hidden home; littering the ground as a landmark of sorts if they should ever return. They say those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the illusive pixies were supposed to be blessed with safe keeping and good fortune. Sakura had always hoped she would see one, but now that she had ended up here, it felt almost like it was fate. The runaway medic needing a place to start life anew felt the irony make her chuckle as she inhaled another breath of fresh air. Folklore or not, this was definitely where she was supposed to be… she could _feel_ it.

But as she remembered, that the smaller isle of Yosei was practically uninhabited these days (the settlers preferring the larger island of Inpei), a wide variety of exotic plant life was thusly able to thrive in the climate of its location. As a medic nin, it honestly made her mouth water with the vast opportunities at hand. Apparently the volcanic soil of the neighboring island was rich enough in nutrients to support an excess in botanic activity, causing most of the island to be covered in dense jungles and productive valleys and pastures, each having an ecosystem all their own.

The thrifty Haruno was practically beaming over the possibilities of being able to call such a similar place home. With Yosei being a short sprint across the sea, she would have so much to learn… to collect… and to catalogue! It would truly keep her mind busy, and suffice as a distraction while settling into her new life. Since her personal area of interest was botanical and herbal medicine, she would have any and everything at her fingertips to work with, and she could finally use her skills to _help_ others by selling her remedies and medicines instead of being forced to use them as lab rats to try new and horrible toxins on.

Although she knew she would have to keep her kunoichi and runaway status quiet in this civilian town, it didn't necessarily mean she couldn't be herself. If anything, she viewed it as a relief, having been ready to be her _true_ self for some time now. She had always said that if she could choose any path in life, it would be to own her own shoppe, selling the things she loved, the little things she enjoyed, like making her own necessities, straight from nature. Living off the land she called it, being one with nature and sharing a mutual respect for life and everything it gives. With her extensive medicinal knowledge she could make, gather, and craft everything from soaps and shampoos to medicines and spices. If it grew on the islands, she would have 1,001 uses for it. Sakura smiled at the prospect of once again taking pride in her work.

Attempting to reel in her thoughts, Sakura began to assess her situation. If she really was in the Tsubasan Islands right now, that meant she had been asleep for more than a night. Her last, and only excursion to this part of the world had taken her just under four days to arrive. What had initially seemed like a sound night's sleep, had been almost three full days worth of rest for her stressed and anxious body. Craning and rubbing her sore neck as the blazing sun crept through the morning fog, she thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't been discovered by the cargo ferry's crew, having been practically unconscious for far longer than she had imagined. But now that the damage had been done, Sakura just had to make it on her own from now on, unexpectedly loving the part about slipping unnoticed into the background of a town like this. What she didn't anticipate was just how much she'd actually stand out. Her exotic hair color pinpointing her as quite the unique individual in this civilian town of tradesmen and travelers.

Snaking her way through the busy boardwalk of Jichi, Sakura found herself bombarded by both the overwhelming amount of people out and about so early in the morning and the abrasive cacophony of the many bazaars cluttering the path. For such a small bay city, Sakura was not expecting the market to be as diverse and dense as this. There were no organized shops or street vendors like in Konoha, they were scattered throughout every spare inch of boardwalk, Sakura having to give up on her naive idea of maintaining personal space as she pressed her way through strangers, scouting the next available crack in the wall of people to squeeze through. Fishermen, businessmen, traders, farmers, children, adults… all were present in abundance, all going about their own ways as if the bodily traffic was of little consequence to them.

The hospital in Konoha that Sakura was accustomed to was relatively quiet, granted there was always that one person who insisted on coughing every three to four seconds, but on a good day, it was fairly quiet and smelled mostly of disinfectant… unlike this madness, with its hoards of people and it's nauseating mixture of many smells. Fish was the most prominent, but it was closely followed by the aromatic smells of hazelnut and coffee beans, the strong smokiness of incense, curry, and the savory drafts of food sizzling on griddles. Everywhere her eyes darted, there was more to see. There were so many shops, it was a treasure hunt in and of itself to discover how many different kinds there actually were. Meat stands next to leather stands, florists next to tea shops, foods of every variety, the mouthwatering aroma's eventually setting off her grumbling stomach. After all, it had been a few days since her body had received any kind of sustenance.

First thing on the Haruno's to-do list was to find food. Secondly, to find a place to stay. But suddenly, she was reminded of something else that found itself in the top priority spot on the list… figuring out how to move through the crowds. Taking a shoulder directly to the face, she cursed the big lug that had knocked her into someone else as she grabbed her cheek in pain. Turning to apologize for her indirect clumsiness, Sakura caught herself staring as she followed the line of the other's torso up to their face. A kind face that smiled at her warmly, his eyes creasing in such a way that made her feel somewhat relieved by the comforting gesture.

"I'm… uh, so sorry about that. Some guy just… and… you didn't spill anything did you… um…?"

"It's Shima, and don't worry about it. I didn't lose anything, so it's no big deal, really." The man claimed as he adjusted the large crate of fish he carried in his arms.

As his deep and calm voice spoke, the pinkette seemed to be more interested in his golden brown hair that was wavy and sat just above his shoulders, which were broad and seriously doing that plain linen shirt some justice. He couldn't have been more than a year or two older than Sakura, 18 or 19 at the most, judging by his young and unmarred sun-kissed skin.

As the Haruno caught herself staring far longer than stranger etiquette would allow, she smiled nervously, biting on her lip anxiously. As coherent thought and words escaped her at this moment, she lowered her eyes, missing his scrunched brow as he looked her over.

From what he could tell, she looked… well, she looked dirty and haggard. Washed up with the tide apparently as he eyed the dried stains on her strange clothing. Shima had been living in Jichi for a number of years, and had yet to see someone whom had even come close to her level of beauty around these parts. Silently wondering where she hailed from and what would bring such a fine woman to this tiny pit stop of an island in the middle of the Sakura Sea. But as his eyes followed the dainty curve of her neck, he could see what looked like dried blood from a diagonal cut at the base of her throat.

"Are you hurt?" He finally spoke, his mouth turning down into a slight frown, his eyes still glued to the stain in question along the hollow of her neck.

Following his line of sight, Sakura gulped as a hand flew up to cover the small cut that the mand-handling nin had left on her that night. Mentally kicking herself for not noticing the offense any sooner, she smiled half heartedly and nodded.

"Oh, this? I'm fine. Just a little accident. You know how traveling can be…"

Raising a brow, Shima looked at her strangely now. He wasn't a gullible person by a long shot, and knew there was something peculiar about his new friend who obviously felt the need to lie to him for some reason. Not wanting to push the issue, the young man resigned to a nonchalant shrug and carried on with their polite conversation.

"Don't I know it." he chuckled, "I'm a fisherman, so traveling is sort of what I do. I'm gone for months at a time. So it can be pretty tough at times."

With another shove from behind her, Sakura was sent into Shima once again, growling as she sharply turned to spot the soon-to-be-dead-man who had bumped into her so rudely. Catching her flaring temper, she forced a smile as she apologized to Shima for the second time in five minutes, her clenched fists being pushed behind her as she settled down.

"Try walking with the crowd…" He offered, trying to withhold a giggle at her adorable little problem as he guided them through the crowd properly with ease. "Go with the flow and you won't get tossed around in the current."

Unsure of his niceness, Sakura nodded as she digested his wise words. Following his lead through the crowd, she noticed that if she followed the person in front of her, and walked the same path as they did, a patterned emerged. With everyone following someone else, the movement of the crowd almost became predictable. A dance between the masses, and a much less offending one at that as she had yet to be sideswiped by anyone since. Grinning in a small victory, Sakura was once again struck by her rattling stomach. Her hand had come up to rub a small circle along her abdomen as she eyed each food kart they passed with discernable yearn.

Checking on his crowd companion over his shoulder as he continued his way through the throngs of people, Shima noticed her hungry eyes. Turning on his heels, he stood and watched her stare outright at every vendor, but no less impressed as she still made her way easily through the people without any errors. Clearing his throat, he caught her attention, looking around, feigning paranoia as he spoke so only she could hear him.

"If you're hungry, let's just say one of these fish just so happened to jump right out of my crate and into your hands… that would be okay." He whispered, looking at her now with a smirk as he inched the box of red seabream closer to her so she could grab one of her choosing.

"Oh, no. I couldn't… I mean, I don't have any-"

"I figured as much, but it's okay. Just take one. I promise I won't tell."

"SHIMA!" A burly voice called out from a nearby stand along the boardwalk, and at the sound of his name, the new acquantance offered the Haruno an honest smile as he readjusted the heavy box in his arms after she had reluctantly grabbed her share.

"See you around, Pinky~"

Frowning at the annoying nickname she had been plagued by for years, Sakura sighed as she watched him sew through the masses and drop off his catch with the owner of the gruff voice that had called out to him.

She couldn't blame the guy, it's not like she had been forthcoming with what he could address her as… which led her to her next thought. She needed a name. If this was to be her new life, everything about her had to be new as well. She needed a name and a story. On missions, it had been a creative outlet to fabricate her own alias and life story, but in the here and now, Sakura struggled with such decisions, sensing the need for a sturdy foundation as it would need to be a permanent cover. One that wouldn't raise too many questions, and one that she could remember off the top of her head just as easily as the truth. Sakura certainly had some thinking to do in terms of this new, lifelong, never ending mission.

Eyeing her breakfast as she held the piscine perishable up by its tail, Sakura licked her lips as she wandered off back to the beach to make a fire in hopes of enjoying her new fishy friend.

* * *

With the brief and pleasant exchange, Sakura suddenly felt a little more at ease with her transition. This would definitely be a good city to lose herself in, maybe now that she'd have the freedom to live her own life, she might even find out what kind of person she really was. First, landing in a thriving and slightly incognito town off the beaten path, and now… perhaps a new friend… things were definitely looking up for Sakura. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be okay with the stunt she just managed to pull off practically unscathed, but she at least had time for the wounds to try and heal properly now.

But there, sitting around her simple little campfire that she had built a thousand times over during her kunoichi days, Sakura found herself torn between emotions. Equal parts of loneliness and doubt filled every cell in her body, yet a small smile pulled at the sides of her mouth. It was the first time she had sat around a fire cooking a meal all by herself, but in this new found seclusion, the Haruno found the room to breath. She was someone else entirely now, she could feel it deep in her bones. But as to whom this person was… she could only look forward to finding out.

She had spent all day hiding out in the small tucked away alcove of rocks along the beach, having been a perfect place for her to center her energy and do some serious thinking. Earlier, she had gathered enough dry wood and debris for the fire to get her through the cooler night, having decided on spending the night here before trying to find other means in the morning. For Sakura, spending the night outside was no new feat for her. As a kunoichi, she had spent many a night in far worse environments, all the while fending off people who wanted nothing more than to kill her, so sleeping on a beach in the middle of a tropical hotspot was a vacation for her.

Eyeing the sun as it settled beneath the horizon, Sakura placed her chin in the palm of her hand propped atop her knee. Rarely did she ever see the sun actually set, having always been on the eastern coast of Fire Nation, but out here… it seemed everything was new, even the view.

Lost in her thoughts was she when she heard a voice call out to her, completely oblivious to the figure approaching her.

"So this is where you scurried off to, huh?" The dusty haired man nodded as he looked around at her camp site, his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his khaki linen pants. "You're pretty outdoorsy aren'tcha? This _does not_ look like your first camp fire."

"Well, I _did_ say I traveled."

"Yeah… you did, didn't you?" He agreed in a humorous tone, sitting down beside her, admiring her fire pit construction.

There was something about Shima that Sakura found oddly comforting. His large smile and sandy blonde hair reminded her of Naruto, but the way his eye's crinkled when he smiled also reminded her of someone else as well. She just couldn't put her finger on it. But then again, maybe she was just missing her teammates and due to his unexpected generosity, she was forcing parallels to make the transition easier on her mind.

"Thanks for earlier by the way. I hope I didn't get you in trouble this morning… ya know, the jumping fish and all" Sakura confessed during the prolonged silence between them.

The pinkette tried to force her words out with an airy lightness, despite the dark cloud of thoughts looming inside her head. She wasn't sure why the man had come looking for her, or how he had even found her at that, but as he continued conversationally, it struck her as odd. Sakura was a ninja after all, trust didn't come easily, but he had helped her without having a good excuse as to why. Stuck between deciding if he was genuinely nice or had ulterior motives, the Haruno allowed the thought to slide down her back as they enjoyed each other's company.

"Nah, don't mention it. It was nothing really, just the decent thing to do. You looked like you had a rough night, anyway. " Shima added with an unapologetic shrug.

"Rough…?" The medic scoffed with a slight eye roll, "You could say that."

"So, what do you do? I-I mean… why the rough night, if you don't mind me asking?"

Inhaling deeply, Sakura paused at the question. The time to establish her cover was now, and she just hoped she didn't blow it. She'd really hate to have to find somewhere else to flee to out in the middle of nowhere like this. Not to mention she seriously doubted if she was going to be lucky enough to run into another friendly natured person like Shima.

"I was a doctor."

"Really?!" Shima squawked in disbelief. He hadn't pinned such a young woman as the professional type, but then again, looks could always be deceiving. "_Was_…?" He offered quietly, sensing the loaded tense of her phrasing.

"Yeah… _was_."

"Lemme guess, the 'was' part has something to do with why you ended up here?"

Sakura didn't need to answer this question for him to know the truth as she locked her eyes on the embers flickering in front of her. During her momentary bout of flashbacks, the medic nin hadn't even realized that she had opened her mouth, as the words just unfurled. As if they had a mind of their own and a voice that needed to be heard. She was a thousand miles away from home on a small civilian island, it's not like Shima got the Konoha Times, so he would be none the wiser.

"I was taken hostage, then forced to experiment on prisoners… my own people. I was a doctor, a damn good one at that too… but I was supposed to be _helping_ people. It continued for months, but when I got the chance, I fled. I barely escaped, and I just ran… and ran… and ran. I jumped the first ship that was due out to port, and when I awoke, I was here."

"And here I thought you were just being coy" Shima added with a touch of sarcasm, looking to the jaded orbs of the medic as he offered a sympathetic and understanding smile.

Sakura tried not to smile, she did. But as his cheesy smile widened, trying to lift her deflated mood, the kunoichi bit the inside of her cheek in dry amusement. Releasing a sigh, she noticed her mood had indeed shifted. She was sure saying it aloud would make her emotional all over again, instantly becoming a blubbering fool in the presence of a meer stranger. But after that vague confession, she felt some of her anxiety melt away, leaving her… dare she say… relieved?

"I'm Hana, by the way…" Sakura chimed in, desperately needing a change of topic. Having said her peace, she was hoping this little bit would keep the shaggy haired blonde from prodding further into the complicated mess that used to be her life.

"Ah ha! A name, _finally_." The man chuckled, his blue-gray eyes brightening as his face perked up in interest. "It suits you. But, I still like Pinky…"

Her facial expressions dropped drastically at this, sending him an unpleasant sideways glance that made his spine stiffen.

"Or Hana's fine… that's good, too."

"You are too kind." Sakura deadpanned, making her distaste for the nickname more apparent.

After sharing a chuckle, the medic's hands began to play idly in the sand. Sliding her fingers beneath the surface, she gently lifted her hands, allowing the grains to slip through her digits. It was a nervous tick, but as it were, she really didn't know what else to talk about, still unsure if he was really after something.

Sensing her apprehension, Shima took the opportunity to interject, having forgotten the reason why he was sent out to her in the first place.

"Well…" he started, moving to stand, dusting himself off, "We should get going… seems you won't last too much longer out here."

"Excuse me?" Sakura pressed from under her offended brow. "H-hey! What are you doing?!"

Ignoring her outburst, Shima continued shoving some dirt over the fire's dwindling flames with his foot before offering his hand out to her, helping the woman to her feet.

"What's your problem, Shima? What's the big idea, you jerk?!"

"The _idea_ is that it's illegal to start campfires on the beach. Some of the villagers asked about the strange woman disregarding the rules, and this 'jerk' volunteered to clear up the misunderstanding. Trust me, you wouldn't have liked it if Ryuu came over here instead. He can be quite… _abrasive_."

"Oh…" The Haruno mumbled sheepishly, her snarl fading into slight disappointment.

"C'mon, you can stay at my place for now… if you like, that is. You need someplace to stay tonight, right?"

"But, I couldn't-"

"Look, it's not that big of a deal, honestly. I have to leave tomorrow night anyway and will be gone for three months. So, you can just take care of the place while I'm gone. I've been meaning to move out anyway, just waiting on my paycheck, ya know? So, maybe I can sign it over to you once you get acclimated here. Since you're a doctor, it would be a perfect place to open a clinic and live… it's got an open ground level, and a tiny loft for living space upstairs. You'll also be the only physician around for miles, so there's no doubt you'll keep busy. The village needs somebody like you."

Sakura didn't know what to say, so she just stared at the overly nice man, taken aback by his generosity. Being a ninja, she was used to never being able to trust anyone… but Shima was making this rather difficult for her at the moment.

"Th-thank you. But… why are you helping me? I don't understand… you don't even know me. I could be dangerous, you know."

"Doubt it. A pretty young thing like you?" Shima laughed as they made their way back up to the boardwalk towards the center of town.

"I'm gonna act like I didn't hear that." She added, clenching her fists and repressing the urge to punch him clear over to the neighboring island for underestimating her.

"I guess you could say I found myself here under similar circumstances years ago. Ryuu, my boss and one of the most respected locals, was the one who found me and extended a helping hand. I owe my livelihood to him. I'm simply returning the favor to the universe. Ah… here we are!"

Looking around, the medic observed they were on the main strip of Jichi, shoppes lining the cobblestone street, taking up every square inch of space. Craning her neck, she looked up at the smaller of all the shoppes, it's warping wood exterior and chipped paint betraying the fact that the building had seen better days.

"This… is where you live?" She remarked as politely as possible, she was a beggar after all, she couldn't exactly afford to be choosey.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a fixer upper… but you have to admit, it's got potential. I'm just never around to give it the attention it needs. But I think you could change that."

"I see…"

"So… what do ya say? Home?" Shima smiled as he unlocked the glass door and allowed her to enter.

Looking around the empty interior, Sakura was baffled at how easily the space could be converted into a workshop and clinic. Noting the open floor plan, and the conveniently close living quarters, she could definitely see herself living here, the wheels in her head already turning as she started making plans and organizing. Feeling her feet now firmly planted, she turned and smiled over her shoulder at her new friend's unbelievable generosity, nodding her head in agreement.

"_Home_."

* * *

Time was always a fickle notion in the Haruno's head, having been a product of strict scheduling and dutiful obligation to her village… but now? Now she had only to live for herself. She didn't expect time to stop just because she was thrown off course, but she didn't expect it to whiz by her either.

And before she knew it, a decade had passed.


	4. Revelations

Jarred into a rude awakening by a thunderous clap, Kakashi flinched in the tiny bed of the cabin in the boat he was chartering. Stowing away his beloved _Icha Icha_ he had fallen asleep reading, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with his gloved hand. But as he was almost thrown off the bunk he was napping on, the Hatake fought to stand, swaying to and fro as the boat was being shoved around violently in the choppy sea.

_Great. A storm._

He was already having a hard enough time as it was on this mission, running on little to no sleep for the last few days, trying to track down a fleet of missing nin who kept hassling merchant ships, and the sudden severe storm they were being batted around in now was just the icing on the shit cake.

Growling, the jonin cautiously made his way above deck, not yet awake enough to find his sea legs as the bags under his eyes felt as if they were drooping enough to pull his dry and weary eyes shut under all the stress.

Holding onto the balustrade of the ship's deck, Kakashi winced as he was pelted with rain and hail alike, as he staggered towards the captain at the helm.

"Where are we, Takao-san?" Hatake yelled over the roar of wind and sloshing of water crashing against the side of the ship, spraying the salted mist high above their heads.

"I'm not sure. The readings are all over the place, we keep getting turned around. We'll figure out the bearings once the storm blows over." The crabby captain responded while deftly maneuvering the smallish ship over the maddening swells of the angered sea.

"I thought you said the sea report was all clear for traveling?" Hatake responded with outright accusation. He was far too tired to deal with misinformation at this point.

"I can't control the weather, old man!" Takao argued vehemently, his green eyes glowering at the shinobi who bothered him while he was trying to save their asses. "But it looks like we've got company."

Following the direction of the captain's nod, Kakashi saw a larger ship splicing through the sea in their direction, an uneasy feeling settling deep in his stomach.

"Are these the thieves?"

"Doesn't appear like it, it looks like help vessel. They'll probably tow us to safer waters seeing as there is no land nearby to dock at."

With an onyx eye narrowing at the Takao's naive notion, Kakashi steadied his feet, his grip on the railing almost bending the metal beneath his attempt at gaining control of the dire situation, his head churning.

Something was off.

As the larger ship came in close proximity, they threw ropes over to the smaller vessel, as the crew shimmied aboard. But as they made no attempts at tethering their boat, Kakashi readied his kunai as the porcelain masked men swarmed the helm.

_Shit_.

While the Copy Nin engaged a few of them, metal clinking swipe for swipe, he noticed Takao joining the rest of the men as they made their retreat, leaving a few parting gifts for the Hatake. As a flurry of kunai and shuriken were launched in his direction, Kakashi quickly deflected the metal stars aimed at his person, but looked at the poorly aimed kunai that were stuck in the ship around him. Wanting to scoff at their laughable attempt at precision, the silver haired nin was thrown overboard before he realized it.

_Exploding tags._

They weren't _aiming_ for him, they had surrounded him, boxing him in as he barely had time to leap out of the way before their detonation. As Kakashi swam up from the churning depths towards the surface, he sputtered for air, his breath having been knocked out of him during the explosion. Slamming a fist on the water's surface, the seething Hatake cursed at the retreating ship, seeing his own slowly sink into the water nearby.

Pushing chakra to his hands, Kakashi pulled himself out of the water, rechanneling said chakra to his feet now as he tried to find his footing on the antsy sea surface.

So Takao was one of them, huh? _Figures_. Why else would a knowledgable captain head straight for a storm while he was catching some shut eye… _unless_ the sudden bad weather was not environmental at all. It had been calm seas and clear skies when he went to get some much needed rest, the coincidence was too perfect to ignore. Meaning, the thieves had conjured the storm in a jutsu in hopes of catching him under the guise of helping a ship in distress.

Now cursing himself, Kakashi clicked his tongue, pulling his sodden mask down off his face as to breath easier and not drown in his own soaked clothing. Pushing is headband out of the way, the Sharingan eye opened, the tomoe swirling as it was activated. Glancing around, the jonin looked for the fleeing ship, grumbling when he saw that the ship had vanished into thin air… no chakra signature… and no land in any direction.

Either the band of missing nin had transported an entire vessel, or he was dealing with someone who was skilled enough to mask their invisibility jutsu chakra signature, scent and all. Either way, he was too tired and undermanned to pursue… had he known where they had at least fled to.

Finally deciding that finding dry land was in his best interest in order to regroup, Kakashi headed West, knowing North and South would take him days to find land… and he had just come from the East, the trip having been a two day journey as it was from southern Tea Country. After reformulating his plan, and maybe calling for backup, Kakashi would find them… he _had_ to. Too much was at stake here. He had to protect Konoha, and catching these fellow masked marauders was a crucial point in ensuring the villages' safety. It was a delicate mission, and one that he would not rush into being ill prepared.

Through the pouring rain, the Copy Nin ran, hopping over the crashing swells as he barely had the energy to keep his heavy head up. He had been overworked for the last few months, mission after mission with no time off was very much making him feel his age. Ever since Sasuke killed Danzo, the village had been slowly recovering from the damage the old bastard left in his wake. The Hatake having run himself ragged tying to clean up the mess of others in hopes of restoring the peace, or at least the passible illusion of peace.

Post Danzo's regime, Kakashi was initially relieved to know someone other than himself was appointed Hokage, having no real interest in the position whatsoever. But as he noticed a drastic change in the ANBU teams and their more than usual off putting behavior, his shinobi senses were tingling with a palpable unsureness.

But as he was summoned for a classified mission, Kakashi swallowed his thoughts as he and his team had been gathered in Danzo's office for a debriefing. Being the last to enter the Hokage's office, he raised a brow at the number of shinobi that were all lifelessly awaiting his presence before the meeting could begin. As they were all still dealing with the recent loss of Asuma, no one even bothered to reprimand him on his tardiness, causing the Hatake's chest to tighten uncomfortably as he leaned against the window on the far wall. Noting all the somber faces of the friends and teammates he had made throughout his life, Kakashi couldn't help but feel that this was not such a good omen before an ominous and last minute mission.

Scattered throughout the small office, Kakashi was joined not only by Genma, Gai, and Anko, but also Ibiki, Yamato, Kotetsu, Izumo, and Naruto. Unless the others had nothing better to do, the silver haired ninja was joined by an abnormally large amount of shinobi that one mission would have called for. Even the largest caravan needing escorts didn't warrant this many guards.

It was a red flag.

Their team numbers were tripled for this one assignment, and not only that, but what mission would require the aid of the villages' own gate guards and personal assistants to the Hokage?

That was red flag number two.

After Danzo made his haughty entrance, Kakashi wasn't sure what this mission entailed, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know. It had bad news written all over it. But hindsight is always 20/20. Except, he was a ninja, he should have seen it coming. Hell, they _all_ should have seen it coming. Their presence around Konoha was obviously trying to be made scarce for some reason.

After passing out their mission scrolls, Danzo had given Kakashi the task of leading the highly adept search party deep into the Land of Iron to flush out Orochimaru and his apprentice, Uchiha Sasuke. Deeming his newly found intel as credible, the new Hokage assured the group that both Orochimaru's and the Uchiha's whereabouts were confirmed deep underground in a secluded system of tunnels.

What he didn't know, what _none_ of them knew, was that it was all just a giant ruse. Upon their arrival to the frosty landscape of Iron, the detailed map on their scroll led them to the middle of nowhere, during a hellish blizzard where they stood dumbfounded and shivering, all of them caught somewhere between anticipation and annoyance.

Why on Earth would the serpent wielder choose the frigid landscape of a non-shinobi nation as his hideout and base of operations? It made no sense at all.

That was red flag number three.

But like he always said, you have to look underneath the underneath. Sometimes choosing the least expected place to hide, was the best way to evade your enemies. Trudging on, Kakashi led the team deeper into the snowy tundra, dismissing his gut instinct in the off chance that they actually would find his rogue student. But as they reached their destination marked on their map, they were surrounded and arrested by the samurai that protected the humble and neutral nation.

Danzo had sent them directly into a trap, and Kakashi had allowed himself to lead them there.

After calming down an irate Anko and kyuubi containing student of his whom were all too eager to fight for the sake of their 'mission', Kakashi placated his team and convinced them to do as they say and go quietly until the matter was resolved. However, they soon found themselves locked up with chakra countering restraints and marched straight into prison. Now it was all too clear what Danzo's true intent was.

Disposal.

For months Kakashi and his team were kept inside the inner sanctums of Iron's maximum security detainment center. Time and time again, the Copy Nin pleaded their case, and each time they were laughed at. He even submitted their mission scrolls as evidence, but as the confirmation came back negative, they were all deemed liars. Danzo even went as far as sending General Mifune an apology that stated he gave no such order and that they were there of their own volition.

Caught up in the diplomatic game of cat and mouse, Kakashi's impatience boiled beneath his calm facade as he struggled with the fact that he knew they had to return to Konoha immediately. Something was obviously very wrong, and this time… he would _not_ ignore his gut feeling.

As luck would have it, the general's latest correspondence to Leaf regarding the return of their captives, came back unanswered and unopened. Questioning the shinobi collective once again, Mifune finally released them under the suspicion of foul play, never knowing the Hidden Leaf to be so unwilling to communicate, especially when it came to the safety of their own kind. With the threat of death issued to all whom who dared not to leave Iron immediately, Mifune allowed them their freedom. Whatever he was sure was going on, Mifune wanted no part of it.

In a few days time, Kakashi's team found themselves thankfully back in the warmer climate of Konoha… or what was left of it. No wonder Iron never received their response, the entire village was deserted. Upon their arrival, the city was in disarray. Buildings were smashed and crumbling, debris littered the streets, the South gate was toppled over, and not a single civilian was in sight. The eerie quiet was all too unsettling.

Determined to get to the bottom of this fast, Kakashi summoned his ninken, sending the dogs in every direction, searching for anyone who might be around and knew what in the hell was going on. But before his team could check more than one building for occupancy, barking was heard. As Pakkun alerted the Hatake of his location, Kakashi and his team deployed to investigate, where they found a lone dead body. There, laying face down in the street adjacent to the Hokage Tower, was Danzo.

The next adamant bark came from Bull, who was only a few meters away. As Kakashi and Naruto arrived at the large bulldog's location, leaving the rest of their team to guard and inspect Danzo's remains, they were greated by a tired and tattered Uchiha… looking a little worse for wear, but alive nonetheless.

Skeptical at first, they heard the Uchiha out, listening to his story as they were given the run down on the status of their beloved home and all the happenings that they had missed since their imprisonment. It was all a little unbelievable coming from the rogue nin, but seeing how he had saved Konoha from Danzo's malicious grip, they were inclined to believe him over the ANBU that had mysteriously vanished.

After hearing that Sasuke had warned Iruka sensei to get everyone to a safe place beforehand, Kotetsu and Izumo rushed to the city vault within the Hokage monument, assuring the townspeople and the other shinobi it was safe to come out. But after doing a head count, there were others who were still missing.

With Anko and Ibiki deployed to investigate the status at the hospital, they reported that it was equally abandoned and sporting some major destruction of its own; explaining to the Hatake that it was as if someone had puched holes clear through the back walls of the bottom level as well as the town's generators and electrical systems.

This matched up to Sasuke's story perfectly, everything was starting to make a bit more sense…_maybe_. Not only had Sakura helped free the Uchiha, but she had also damaged the integrity of whatever Danzo was planning by kinking the hose in his agenda and severing his literal source of power to the underground maze of tunnels beneath the Hokage Tower.

But neither Naruto, nor he, could believe that their cherry blossom would leave the village they knew her to love and protect. Something must've shaken her so badly, she couldn't fathom the idea of staying. Remembering that Sasuke mentioned she had been taken captive and forced to work for that old bastard, Kakashi just hoped she would be strong enough to work through whatever personal demons she had accrued while in their absence. He worried for her, day after day, but was convinced she would make her return eventually, when she was ready. Sakura was never one to give up on something so easily.

It was all they could do to work together, civilians and shinobi, to try and piece back their beloved city while Kakashi worked to piece together the system that would allow their village to thrive once again. Apparently Danzo had killed a number of important people that had stood in his way, threats to his sordid endeavors. Among the top of that list were the elders, Shizune, and most all of the medical staff. Lucky for her, Sakura was talented enough to be recognized as nonexpendable, and escaped being one of his victims; Kakashi often wondering what price she was undoubtedly paying for said luck, and how that factored into her momentary absence.

Kakashi had also learned that the ANBU whom had served Danzo were mostly made up of his ROOT nins, who (besides Sai) were loyal to the end and then some, having raided the underground laboratories and hospital before disappearing after the geezer's death. Sai had explained that he simply cooperated with ANBU for inside information, observing that Danzo was up to something strange and peculiar. Having Sai around proved to be quite a blessing as he was specialized in reconnaissance, and was now a source of valuable information. The ink jutsu user also knew about the main biological weapon Danzo was working on. Tetrotoxin, he called it, was a fast working, lethal toxin that he had concocted of multiple poisons and was planning on using it in a full scale war between allying nations and all whom opposed him.

But seeing as how Sakura never figured out the mechanism behind the toxin's potency, the antidote was still unknown… and with the lack of medic nins to offer their services, Kakashi wasn't sure they would ever find one.

Even after accounting for both Sakura's and ANBU's whereabouts, there were still a few whom were missing from the village collective. Where were all the clans?

Scanning through the throngs of people filing out of the monument's shelter, the Hatake noticed a familiar red cheeked, leather jacket wearing face in the crowd whom appeared to be conversing with a very bemused Rock Lee and Tenten. Quickly approaching the Inuzuka, but much to his dismay, he was only met with a nonstop barrage of barking.

It was Akamaru.

Summoning Pakkun once again to act as a translator, Kakashi sunk when he finally got the answer to his question. The ruthless bastard was threatening everyone that stood in his way, the affluent clan heads and their families being no exception to that.

After rounding up the Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Aburame, Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, Danzo threatened them, blackmailing them into going quietly or else they suffer the consequences. But as the illustrious Hyuuga's had a problem submitting their will without a fight, Danzo thought it best to hit them directly with the harsh reality they were now facing in their reluctance to comply.

The damnable fool even made an example out of Neji in order for the other clans to acquiesce promptly, lest they wanted their children to meet their demise as well. With the eldest Hyuuga assassinated before their eyes, all were compelled to go quietly, as Danzo locked them up in a specialized ninja holding facility in Kusagakure known as Hōzukijō, The Blood Prison.

Taking the news in stride, and with the Inuzuka clone in tow, Kakashi quickly gathered Naruto and Sasuke as he ordered Sai to take them to Grass on his inky bird immediately. If they were to stand a fighting chance against the rebelling ANBU, he needed _all_ of Konoha's ninjas to pull it off. It was a rather rushed and brash mission to take on, but Kakashi was only trying to right the wrongs that Danzo had put into motion. Not only had he threatened and killed many of Konoha's most important people, but he had locked the rest of them away. Having just escaped Iron himself, the Copy Nin couldn't rest until the rest of his fellow shinobi were released from their prisons as well.

If the man wasn't already dead, Kakashi would have ripped out and fried his heart seven times by now with his Chidori, feeding the charred organ back to its owner in an attempt to make him taste his own hatred. It was absolutely disgusting behavior befitting someone whom dared call himself Hokage.

After a minor scuffle and some seriously forward litigation, Kakashi and his team made it back to Konoha in due haste with all the clan members in tow, riding in on the artist's flock of large birds. Amidst their leave, Yamato had exhausted himself, and his chakra reserves, restoring the village to its pristine and previous state. Having the buildings repaired, and the rubble cleared away, it almost seemed as if nothing had happened at all. But with the ANBU still threatening to come back and seek vengeance on the village that harbored the guilty Uchiha, there was much work to be done.

Fortunately for the people of Konoha, it would be years before the ANBU would have the proper know-how and manpower to understand, produce and handle the mass amounts of the Tetrotoxin… having nicked their own vulnerable artery when all medics capable of such a feat were dead or missing in action.

All they could do… was be ready.

Having been involuntarily deemed intermittent Hokage, the Hatake now had his hands full, it was his village too, after all. He had fought, bled and lost loved ones in the name of Konoha, and now it needed him most. Who was he to deny the position? He had hoped it would be Naruto to take over, but with his skills and diplomatic tact (or lack thereof) Kakashi thought it best to train his student during the tumultuous times ahead. A call that he, to this day, still fully supported.

But when he received an urgent mission request from Tea Country nearly a decade later about medical supply ships disappearing with precious cargo and villagers being poisoned with a fatal and unknown toxin, Kakashi knew it was a mission he would need to take on himself.

The ANBU were ready now… and so was he.

Putting their contingency plan into motion before he took his leave, the silver haired Hokage made the appropriate arrangements and headed off. He just didn't expect to meet _this_ much resistance. He had ignored the Nara's insistent pleas to take backup or other team members in his quest, but mainly, Kakashi couldn't stand any more blood on his hands.

The village and its inhabitants had suffered enough over the years with their fate looming closely overhead with every day the ANBU remained unfound. Even if it meant he was taking this mission to the grave with him, like a Hokage was expected to, he knew that the village he called home was in capable hands that held the Will of Fire for the new generation. It was that hope, alone, that kept him going.

Pushing his inner turmoil aside, the Hatake's doleful expression lightened when he saw a sliver of land on the horizon. With the sun peeping through the haze of the morning fog, Kakashi breathed a heaving sigh of relief when he spotted a chain of islands just ahead of him.

Seems luck really was on his side.


	5. Familiarity

Trudging his tired sandaled feet ashore, Kakashi was feeling a bit under the weather, his slothful body sore and cumbersome. As he made his way across the loose sand of the beach, his body throbbed with ache, choosing to find some shade to rest in before scouring the boardwalk to peruse the picturesque island town as a geographic reference. But first, he needed to feel better... and _fast_.

The mission was grating on his nerves unimaginably, and the stubborn Hatake was ready to finish off this mission once and for all, these thieves having been a stain on Konoha's past and a crick in his neck for far too long. To think he had been so close, almost had the absconded ANBU under his thumb, only to be had with a few cheap tricks that he had missed during his exhaustion induced carelessness... it really was a shame. Cursing his lack of proper sleep that was a direct result from his unyielding drive, Kakashi was graciously looking forward to the two weeks of paid vacation he had arranged upon his return. He was very much in need of a little rest and relaxation.

Hanging his head as he dragged his languid body up towards the rocks that dotted the posterior side of the beach just under the boardwalk, he picked out a small cluster of rocks that would have to do for now. The hotels around here probably wouldn't be too pleased with or even accept the waterlogged money of a sickly traveler. Wearing from chakra exhaustion and the subsequent bug he probably picked up in the cold, stormy waters the previous night during his unfortunate scuffle, Kakashi collapsed down into the dark sand, his back and head falling back to rest against the cool slab of stone behind him.

Exhaling, out of equal parts frustration and disappointment, Kakashi let his breath wash away any remaining anxiety, knowing it would only serve to inhibit his recovery. He just needed a descent sleep, perhaps some food and to get quickly back out to sea. He needed to catch these traitorous bastards. Now that he knew what they were up to, he just needed to find them again.

It just required a different approach. The infamous copy nin would never admit it aloud, but as much as he didn't want to involve other persons, he was struggling to take them all down on his own... or at least in his current state. Running his hands through his pale locks that had flopped down into his face, Kakashi tried to think through his encumbering thoughts, closing his eye as he fell into a serene quiet.

Only allowing the sound of the crashing waves to pierce his concentration, the dawdling jonin tried to coerce his body into a tranquil state, the warmth of the sun penetrating through his damp clothes, warming his bones. But as he picked up on a light hum in the distance, he was brought out of his momentary peace and back into his woefully wasted funk.

It was a voice.

As if being called out to by an entrancing siren, Kakashi sat and listened with his unparalleled hearing capabilities as a woman's melodic voice sang out in the distance, her words riding along the meandering breeze that swept over them.

_It's almost like you had it planned_

_It's like you smiled and shook my hand and said_

_'Hey, I'm about to screw you over, big time'_

_And what was I supposed to do?_

_I was stuck in between you and a hard place_

_We won't talk about the hard place_

Quirking a bewildered brow, the Hatake questioned the whereabouts of his jaded siren. Sitting up, he perked his spying head over the jumble of rocks he had crawled between, chancing a glance at the mysterious source, only to find the beach as barren as it had been earlier upon his arrival. But the songstress persisted.

_But I don't blame you anymore_

_That's too much pain to store_

_It left me half dead_

_Inside my head_

_And boy, looking back I see_

_I'm not the girl I used to be_

_When I lost my mind_

_It saved my life_

Maybe he was more tired than he thought, but as he honed in on the voice, he felt a small pang of hurt for its owner. It was such a delightful day on this island paradise, the sun's rays made the cerulean blue of the water sparkle, and the refreshing salty breeze cooled the skin from the sweltering heat of midsummer. It hardly seemed to be the atmosphere for such a crestfallen ballad.

_It's how you wanted it to be_

_It's like you played a joke on me_

_And I lost a friend_

_In the end_

_And I think I cried for days_

_But now that seems light years away_

_And I'm never going back_

_To who I was..._

Loving how the sweet sound of her voice betrayed a peculiar life of lessons learned, each word she breathlessly muttered conveyed every emotion befitting someone who had been burned, and now is thankful for the scars that let them know they were still alive. With her words pulling at his heartstrings, Kakashi stood to his feet, replacing his mask in his quest for the wise siren who'd caught his attention, sounding so refreshingly honest. The exposed, investigating eye scanned the area of the coastline for the songstress, but it wasn't long before his curious eye found his target. There, walking along the boardwalk above where he stood, was the woman that had caught his attention, a vision in pink as her long and wavy hair blew all around her, making her look like quite the mermaid against the tropical backdrop nature offered.

_Heh. An actual siren, huh?_ The Hatake chuckled to himself.

As the wind swept through her hip length hair, his gaze lingered as her long dress pressed against her body deliciously, the gusts undulating the fabric behind her in its wake. Raising an appreciative brow at being able to clearly see through the thin material of her dress as the sun filtered through the thin red silk of the garment, Kakashi grinned mischievously.

Following the line of her body down, he noted she was carrying a basket full of findings she had gathered on the beach. Apparently she had been out there doing a little searching of her own, but how she had managed to not catch his eye sooner, amazed him. His adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed amidst his ogling, Kakashi couldn't help but be completely mesmerized... she was magnificent.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked along the beach, following her every movement. With his eye never leaving her sight, he watched as she paced the boardwalk heading for town, her voice now quiet as she appeared lost in thought. His eye continuing its downward path over her body, he noticed the elegant trim at the the bottom of her crimson dress, littered with hundreds of light pink cherry blossoms. Whilst admiring this minute detail, Kakashi grinned in the most bittersweet of emotions as he returned his gaze to the shifting sand beneath his feet and was reminded of a rather stubborn student he once had with the exact affinity for the little flowers as she did.

It was then that realization set in, snapping his head back to her, his eye widened with excitement as it washed over each of her features searching for any signs of familiarity. It had been ten years almost, so there was no way of knowing what the Haruno would look like now. She had been sixteen last time he laid eyes on her, to pick her out of a crowd now, he would need a closer assessment to be sure.

As the pinkette made her way through streams of people, heading deeper into town, the jonin jumped up to the boardwalk, righting himself as he stealthily made his way through the crowd, stalking her like prey... watching her every move with uninterrupted concentration.

He _had_ to know.

He knew he looked out of place, and for a brief millisecond almost entertained the idea of removing the dark cloth that perpetually covered his face, all for the sake of blending in.

Set in his ways, the Sharingan user decided against it, pulling out his trusty reading companion. Frowning slightly as inky droplets of water trickled out from its saturated pages. But as he was only using the volume for cover amidst the moving crowd, he pulled it up to his face, figuring no one would be none the wiser in his pursuit. His pupil peeping out over the tops of the warped pages, Kakashi watched from the other side of the street in admiration as he found himself enamored with this young... _familiar_ woman in question.

Looking back, he had always known the Haruno to be a spastic and severely temperamental teenager who often lost to her own bouts of aggression, having the heavy hand to back her up. But _this_ woman was none of that. She moved lightly on her feet, greeting the day and apparently everyone in town. With a friendly wave and the brightest of smiles, Sakura offered everyone she passed a warm 'hello', her soft giggles filling the spaces in between the clatter of the busy crowd.

Following along with the honest beauty, Kakashi found himself on the main street running through midtown. Palm trees decked out in lights, an opulent water fountain, alfresco dining cafe's, if he had been feeling any better, Kakashi was sure he would have appreciated the comfy cozy atmosphere a little more, it really was quite the busy port city.

When Sakura suddenly stopped outside a tiny shoppe, the Hatake halted his mimicking path. Reaching into her basket to fetch her keys and open the door, Kakakshi scanned the sign over the rose-headed woman, and had to stifle a guffaw as he watched her slip inside the quaint little medicinal shoppe.

It _had_ to be her.

Completely captivated by this new Sakura he saw before him, he had no idea he would bump into her _here_ of all places... like this. From across the street, the Hatake watched as she set out a few large sea shells on the sill and hang a few herbs in her front window, taking advantage of all the natural light beaming into her shoppe, the beacons of sun light making her eyes glow in a charming shade of chartreuse. She was doing well, that much was obvious. And deep down, Kakashi was ashamed that he had assumed otherwise. He never wanted to underestimate her, but he should've known she was strong and smart enough to take care of herself. The list of things Kakashi _should've_ known seemed to lengthen by the day. This was a problem.

As the Haruno worked, Kakashi thought about making his move, lifting a foot to take his first step across the large pebbled street towards the shoppe. But as a whimpering boy ran inexorably through the door, the jonin halted, leaning back against the building behind him as he continued his observations.

Watching her work behind the counter of her own shop... living her own life... in complete control, Kakashi really couldn't help his infatuation with the blossomed sakura as he admired the serene and happy portrait she painted.

She was officially his hero.

He had gained so much respect for her when she had defaulted from the village, loving the way she had wanted to commandeer her own life, taking back her freedom and living in calm normalcy. It was something he often thought about, but never fully envisioned. For shinobi, it was a pointless mindset to entertain. Having one's own life just wasn't in the cards for people who sold their lives and skills for money, it was a life of death and despair. But for Sakura, she wouldn't accept that any longer, and fought to change that aspect, and now that she had, Kakashi couldn't be any happier for her.

In his revelation, he was suddenly struck with a nagging pang of regret as he watch her care for the young boy. He was now stuck in a highly unfavorable situation. As a prominent figure in the ninja world, holding a certain position of authority, he should throw her in shackles and drag her back to face the jury in Konoha, but after seeing her sweet smile and hearing her joyous airy laughter that flowed on the back of the cool sea breeze bustling through town, he just couldn't do that to her.

She deserved to have her own life, and little by little he began to entertain the idea that maybe he deserved his own...

* * *

Humming softly as she collected her drying array of flowers and herbs in the large store window, Sakura laughed as she realized she was smiling to herself. It had been a slow day in her shoppe, and for that, she was happy. Not that she didn't like the company or business that the townspeople, _her_ people, provided... it just meant that everyone was healthy and doing well. She had realized upon landing in the small port city, that she was a nurturer, a healer by nature, and that fighting fate would only cause the pain inside her heart to grow. So, she embraced who she was, and gave herself the title of 'doctor'... and soon the word was out, quickly traveling the expanse of the island and its grateful inhabitants.

Her role was actually none too different from that in Konoha before the diplomatic changes. Whether they were hemorrhaging ninja, or geriatrics battling with arthritis, Sakura took her job just as seriously. She liked helping people.

It was that simple.

The rosette liked being of use to those around her. Nothing had changed, yet it seemed as if everything had changed. Granted she had to keep her chakra healing a secret, but if no one was looking, she would surge her healing energies into the sick and injured, for she hated to see any living creature suffer. She promised herself she would dedicate the remainder of her years helping to extinguish any and all suffering she could, hating the fact that she was once a source of excruciating pain and suffering to those whom had trusted her with their lives. Sakura would make damn sure she'd honor that trust at all costs, paying her debt to society one ailment at at time.

She remembered the elderly woman by the name of Yuna, who worked night and day in her prized vegetable garden. Shima had known her for years, being a neighbor of sorts, and one day he found her collapsed in the garden. Being the gentleman he was, her dear friend carried the frail woman, rushing all the way to her shoppe for her to be treated. Judging by her reddened skin and profuse sweating, Sakura knew it was probably nothing more than heat stroke and exhaustion. After prompting Shima to place her on the examination table in the privacy corner, she gave him the task of going to quickly collect a bucket of ice to bring her temperature down.

Soon after the man's departure, Sakura laid her hands to Yuna's dampened forehead, her chakra surging in to establish some vitals, frowning as she noted her racing but weakened pulse rate. Taking another look at the older woman, she quickly went into medic mode. Hearing Yuna moan in pain, her eyes shut tight in her faint state, she was sure to miss the glowing emerald of her healing hands as she pumped her chakra into the woman's body, calming her inner thermostat and prompting the heart to slow down into a steady rhythm, letting her fall into a deep sleep for recovery.

With her heart and breathing rate returning to normal, Sakura quickly allowed her cooling chakra to flush through all the veins, arteries, and small capillaries, chilling her tissues and absorbing the excess heat Yuna's body had produced while she worked in the smoldering heat of midday. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand as her patient was beginning to look more comfortable and less flushed, Sakura sighed in relief. At times, keeping her chakra abilities under wrap while dealing with the sick or injured, was not always an easy task. With the watching eyes of a worried loved one or a curious crowd, the pressure to perform was almost unbearable, having almost blown her civilian cover many a times. It was amazing no one had noticed yet, but there had been skeptic rumors in her earlier days... usually painting her as a sorceress or a witch. But when she was the only one for hundreds of miles who could help, no one dared express their opinions to her directly... not if they wanted to survive whatever ailment they might incur that week.

By the time the winded man made his return, Sakura had removed the woman's shoes and had pulled her hair away from the back of her neck to release excess heat and was fanning her, dabbing away the rivulets of sweat that had streamed down her face. After a cold compress to the forehead, courtesy of the ice water she now had, Sakura thanked her helpful companion as Yuna rested comfortably. To this day, Sakura still receives heaping baskets of some of the best vegetables she has ever tasted.

It was memories like this that kept her heart from opening the dark chest of secrets she had stowed away many years ago. This was her life now, and she finally felt at peace with it. She wasn't out fighting wars, or sewing people's limbs back together, and she wasn't running herself ragged with the lonely lifestyle of being an in-demand kunoichi medic nin. She could just _be_, and that was more than enough.

Startled out of her thoughts by the bell ringing on the shoppe door as it opened, Sakura blinked back into reality as she eyed a pouting chocolate haired boy.

"What is it this time, Jiro? Were you tormenting the crabs on the beach again? You know their claws can pinch you, haven't we been over this already?" Sakura lectured, placing a hand on her hip as she eyed the boys' fingers he was holding up for her to see.

"No!" He huffed in frustration. "I haven't tried to catch any crabs for weeks now... you should be proud, Hana-chan!"

"Well, if that's the case, Jiro-kun... than I am very proud of you. But, what where you doing this time?" She eyed the still pouting eight year old sternly. "Is that... did you burn yourself?"

"Um... well, ya see... it's a funny story, actually..."

Raising a brow, she cocked her head to the side, wordlessly betraying her disbelief at the would-be funny story, hoping he would cut to the chase sooner rather than later. Kids, she had learned, could always amaze her with the outrageous details and reasoning behind each of their 'accidents'.

"Um... okay, so I was at the market... just minding my own business, and out of nowhere this food kart caught on fire. Hana-chan, you have to believe me, I was only trying to help put it out! I swear!"

"Jiro..." Sakura deadpanned, not believing a single word the mischievous child had to say. "Were you trying to steal the grilled unagi again?"

Watching the child's shoulders slump in defeat at having been found out despite his best efforts, the amused Haruno stifled a chuckle as she ushered the boy over to her sink behind the counter.

"Sorry Hana-chan... it smelled too good. My stomach commanded me to do it!"

"Oh, Jiro, whatever shall I do with you, hm? You know your mother wouldn't appreciate hearing about this, you're lucky it's only a first degree burn." She had seen far worse burns on a person, but the medic thought she'd spare the child the gory details of paper bombs and fire jutsus.

"H-Hana-chan... you're n-not gonna tell okaasan about this are you?!" The wide-eyed boy pleaded as fear was struck deep inside him.

"Only if you promise not to steal anything again. Are we clear? Your mother works very hard to put food on the table, so there is no excuse for you running around being a criminal. I don't want my Jiro-kun to end up in a lonely prison cell one day, okay?"

Lowering his head in shame, the complacent boy mumbled his apologies as Sakura let the water warm before running his offended fingers under its stream.

"Itai! Itai! Hana-chan... i-it burns!"

"It only feels warmer because your skin _is_ burned. I'm sorry, but it'll be over with soon enough. With burns, you have to flush the area with warm water to release the heat under the skin so it doesn't blister. Trust me, that'll hurt worse than just some warm water."

"You sure know a lot about stuff, Hana-chan. You musta been the smartest girl in your village" Jiro beamed, forgetting his burns as he looked up at Sakura with the cutest blush on his chubby little cheeks.

"That's sweet, Jiro-kun... but I was not the smartest. There were others who were much, _much_ smarter than I." Sakura smiled politely, trying to ignore the faces that flashed through her mind at the moment.

"Really?!"

"Yes. My shishou was undoubtedly the smartest, but there were also others whose talents outweighed my own... by a longshot. I was always considered the weakest out of everyone."

"Nope. Not my Hana-chan, that's impossible. You're the bestest 'round here, no doubt about it. Everybody says so."

"They do, do they? Why do I feel like you're lying to me again?" Sakura giggled, turning off the water and dabbing his fingers dry.

"Oi! I'm not lying this time. I promise! Shima-nee always tells everyone you're the best... and everyone always believes what _he_ says!" Jiro blurted, wincing slightly as she dabbed at his sore fingers.

"Okay, Jiro. I believe you." Sakura stressed, ruffling the boys' spiky hair before turning towards a large pointy plant on her counter, breaking off a tip of one fleshy leaf before rubbing the cool jelly of its insides over his fingers, soothing the irritated flesh.

"Is that... plant blood?" The boy asked with a disgusted look on his face, his nose turned up as she smeared its contents on his fingertips.

"No, silly. It's Aloe. And the 'blood' is actually called pulp, and is mostly just water. But there is a special compound in this specific plant that helps with skin discomfort… like burns. Once this dries, you should be just fine, okay?"

"See? You're the bestest!" Jiro smiled widely as he wiggled his sticky fingers for her to see, as if to appreciate her own work.

"Okay, Jiro-kun... I get it." Sakura agreed reluctantly, rolling her eyes at the kid and all his cuteness.

"Thanks Hana-chan!" Jiro called over his shoulder as he ran giggling out of her shoppe.

"You're welcome. And Jiro... no more shenanigans! I mean it!" Sakura yelled after the rambunctious boy in her motherly tone, knowing she would probably see him in a few days' time.

She always did.

Shaking her head, she was reminded of another boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes that was always into trouble and getting hurt. Both he and Jiro even shared the same ramen fascination, it was too uncanny, really.

Walking back to her counter, busying herself with organizing the recently dried stock of flowers and herbs, she caught herself smiling again. She really did love that kid. Both of them, if she was being completely honest. Even though she hadn't seen or spoken to any of her friends in Konoha, she still missed them... _all_ of them, and hoped they were doing as well as she was. One could only hope. But in the shinobi world, the tide often changed by the minute. One moment you were walking on firm ground enjoying the view, the next, you were struggling to keep your nose above water. Life was fast and fickle for those whom chose that path.

With the door ringing once again, Sakura didn't even turn around to face the probable person.

"Jiro... I swear to Kami, if that's you again and you're hurt already, I _will_ tell your mother!"

"Was someone a bad little boy?" The playful voice answered amusingly.

Dropping the jar she had brought down off the shelf, it's metal lid slipped from her grasp and ricocheted off the countertop in an abrasive clamor as it hit the floor. _Smooth, Sakura. Real smooth._

Frozen where she stood, the Haruno felt her spine stiffen at the sound of the voice behind her. There was no need to turn around, for she knew that voice anywhere, and the fact that it had found her after all this time made her feel queazy, sick with guilt and wracked with festering anticipation. Trying not to panic as she felt her breathing increase, her heart pounding against her ribcage, Sakura closed her eyes and counted to ten. Maybe this was all just an illusion. She had been awoken during the past two nights to stitch a lacerated palm and soothe an infants upset stomach... maybe this was just a side effect due to her lack of sleep as of late.

But just to be on the safe side, the kunoichi reached for the concealed scalpel she had placed under her work bench, whipping around and throwing it at her intruder with all the speed and precision expected of a ninja.

"Tsk. Is that any way to great your old sensei after all this time, Sakura?" Kakashi retorted, smirking underneath that mask of his as he caught the launched instrument with ease, showing off as he rolled it over each of his knuckles in a fancy display of dexterity.

Snarling at the infuriating man, Sakura stomped around the counter, gritting her teeth as she flipped the open sign around to read 'closed', quickly drawing the shades down over the door and windows. The last thing she needed was to have the villagers privy to her interactions with an obvious shinobi. Turning on her heel, she now stood with both hands fisted upon her hips as she glared at the masked man with certain furry.

"What do you want, Hatake? And why are you here?"

Handing the blade back to it's wielder in a show of trust, Kakashi scoffed as he feigned hurt by her terse and menacing tone. Apparently baffled by the fact that he was unwelcome company in the Haruno's eyes now. He couldn't blame her though, she probably thought he had tracked her down and was here to take back the missing nin at all costs.

"Since when do you refer to me as 'Hatake'? Sounds a little cold..."

"Since I haven't had the need to refer to you as anything. You'd kinda have to be around for something like that."

"Oh my. I see someone's become quite feisty in their old age."

Gripping the handle of the No. 10 blade tightly in her fist, Sakura bit the inside of her cheek as another snarl pulled on her upper lip. The nerve of this man! After all this time, this is how he wanted to converse with his former teammate? It was true she was no longer a child, but she sure as hell was not _old_.

"Firstly, I'd hardly call 26 'old'. And secondly, as I recall, you are about twenty years older than I am... right, _sensei_?"

If he wasn't smirking before, he was certainly doing so now. Amidst growing up, Sakura had become quite the spitfire. Kakashi would be lying if he said he wasn't glad that she had toughened up over the years, she was handling herself quite well given the circumstances. But what kid wouldn't grow up after escaping their tormentor and fleeing the country all by themselves?

"Still calling me old, I see. And it's fourteen years, Sakura-chan, not twenty. My hair is silver, not grey... how many times need I remind you?"

"Whatever. Just answer my question. Why are you here?"

"I was on a mission."

"Bullshit. This is a civilian island. There are no shinobi here, and I have yet to see one since landing here. So try again."

"_Was_ on a mission, Sakura-chan..."

"Don't call me that so freely. It's Hana now." Sakura corrected impatiently, paranoid that anyone might overhear their private conversation. But as realization struck her, the pinkette raised a worrisome brow at the other's words and their plausible implications.

"What do you mean _was_? Are you hurt?"

"Well... funny story..."

"Oh, for the love of Kami... just get to it." Sakura spat, having heard enough of boys and their 'funny stories' for the day. Honestly, why couldn't they ever just tell the truth? It was infuriating. Nevertheless, Sakura wasted no time in eyeing the man up and down, checking for any blood stains or torn clothing.

"Patience is a virtue ya know... and- ...are you checking me out? Really, Hana... control yourself!" Kakashi teased, covering his chest with a gloved hand as if embarrassed under her scrutinizing gaze.

"Save it. Doctors aren't afforded things like patience." Sakura hissed, narrowing her eyes as she circled the jonin looking for the telltale signs of combat or injury, only to find a few singed threads. _And one very perky derriere._ "And yes. I _am_ checking you out... but for purely medical reasons, I assure you."

Following the cherry blossom around with his exposed eye, Kakashi watched as he fought the urge to smirk while she inspected every fiber before coming around to face him once again. He still could't get over how different she looked, even up close she was... _exquisite_.

Clearing his thoughts and throat alike, the Hatake eyed her inquisitively as she brought her hands up to his temples, the tingling surge of her chakra being feed beneath his skin, her simple touch causing him to break out in goosebumps.

"I had some trouble with a few pirates..."

"What? Did you get caught going after their treasure and they made you walk the plank?" The medic remarked, her sarcastic grin falling into a frown when she noticed he was running a slight fever and his blood pressure was a bit high for as calm as he was acting.

"Something like that..." Kakashi offered softly as he continued to watch her closely with an expressionless face. "

"These missing nin-turned-pirates have been tormenting trade ships in this sea for the last few months, looting the goods and killing the crews. I was sent to stop them, but, last night I was vastly outnumbered. Not to mention my ship's captain turned out to be one of them. A few conveniently placed exploding tags later, I was tossed overboard and they made their escape while my ship went down. So, I pulled myself out of the water and ran towards the only land I could see." He explained, pointing to his covered eye.

"Well, that explains why your chakra is so low. That, and staying in your soaking wet uniform all night dropped your body heat, and now you're running a fever. It may just be a cold, but you'll need medicine and some rest. Guess you came to the right place." Sakura added with a faint smile. At least with the Copy Nin being sick, it decreased the likelihood of him running her back to Konoha immediately, buying her some precious time.

Without realizing it, Sakura's hands had stayed against the man's temples even after her inspection was finished, her fingers flattening down the sides of his face. She wasn't sure why, but as she stared into the haze of the dark, steely midnight blue orb that was locked onto her, she felt an inkling of nostalgia. As mad as she had once been that her sensei (and one of the most highly decorated shinobi world had ever seen) had abandoned her, the Haruno still couldn't hold it against him. For all she knew, Kakashi could have been another one of Danzo's prisoners at the time. Which meant, she too, had abandoned him in Konohagakure that night so long ago.

"So..." Sakura interjected, having felt the need to break the silence as she awkwardly pulled her hands back, "Let me whip you up some special soup, and you'll be feeling better in no time."

Never missing a beat, the Hatake's watchful eye could have sworn he saw a brief flash of something hidden within those jade irises that had looked at him so warmly. As he continued to watch her, he noted the way she had walked back over to her workspace behind the front counter. He secretly loved the way a woman's hips swayed with her every step, and in that long, flowing maxi dress she wore, Kakashi found she was no exception. Bewitched was he as he observed her tapping her bottom lip before pulling down a couple of jars off the large shelf on the back wall, and tried not to stare as she bent over and retrieved a stone mortar and pestel.

He_ tried_.

But be that as it may, the view couldn't just go unappreciated. In the decade that had passed them both, Sakura had matured... mentally, emotionally, and especially physically. Adulthood was embracing his former student, and she had indeed blossomed into quite the woman. Her hair was much longer as he noticed the curled ends resting atop her gracious hindquarters, and she had filled out, growing into her body with ease.

From the looks of things, Sakura tried to lead a simple civilian life, so the absence of missions and daily sparring sessions had allowed her curves to fill in. She was still lean and petite, but her hips had widened, giving birth to thick, full thighs. She had even grown a few inches taller, the top of her head coming up to the tip of his nose instead of at shoulder height. It was clear, Sakura was most definitely a mature young woman, one whom had caught his attention down on the boardwalk.

Even before he knew who she was... he was attracted to her.

An idea that both excited and terrified him. It had been a while since the oblivious Hatake had experienced such a gravitation towards a woman, let alone a woman who used to be a student... a friend... a teammate. He knew he shouldn't acknowledge the spark that seemed to ignite between them in their interaction, but Kakashi couldn't help himself. Nor did he want to.

Another terrifying notion.

Awkward silence filled every space between the two newly reunited comrades as Sakura crushed and ground together the ingredients for Kakashi's remedy.

"So…you look…er…_different_" Kakashi said with some hinted hesitation as he leaned against the counter, watching in awe as she worked.

"Different good? Or different bad?" Sakura asked curiously beneath a raised brow, "It has been 10 years, you know…of course I _would_ look different."

"Well, yes… I suppose you would Sakura-chan, but I'd have to say it's a good different. In all seriousness, I wasn't even sure it was you because you really are so beautiful now."

"Um… thanks? I'm sure there was a complement in there somewhere" She mumbled as she continued preparing his medicine, adding various leaves and vitamins into the mortar, looking slightly uncomfortable with the compliment.

"Oh, there most definitely was a compliment given, I assure you. All I was implying was that… well, you look good, Sakura. I can't believe I've been worried about you all these years, and yet, here you are…never better." Kakashi explained nonchalantly as he looked around the interior of the shop, walking over to closer inspect the staircase in the back corner to his right.

"Oh no. No, no, no, Kakashi… flattery will get you nowhere with me!" Sakura warned as she stopped her stirring and glared at him, her eyes narrowing as she saw him curiously eying the stairway.

"I know you well enough to know that you want something Kakashi, but I'm already working on your medicine, so please, enlighten me as to what else you could possibly need from me, hmm?" Sakura prodded sarcastically from behind him, her hands placed sternly on her hips.

"See… I feel like I shouldn't know you after all these years, but looking around, I find myself surrounded by you. But, I must say, as a ninja…if this is your way of hiding, you're doing a shit job… _doctor_." Kakashi jested, turning back around to face her, a slight smile apparent under his mask.

"Well, I regret to inform you, that I haven't been a kunoichi for a long time…and who says I'm hiding? I came here so I could live happily, the way I wanted to, a way that felt right… hiding was just something I did back in Konoha." She sighed as she folded her arms across her chest, the light in her eyes dimming a bit as she cycled through the memories of her former life.

"And what's with all this _'I find myself surrounded by you'_ bullshit you're spewing?" Sakura waved carelessly, almost laughing at just how cheesy the same sentence was coming out of her mouth. "And why do you keep staring at the staircase?!" She exclaimed exasperatingly, fed up that he was more interested in her stairs then her at the moment.

"Why, you ask?" Kakashi responded after a moment of silence. "I simply wonder where they lead…"

"Hey!" Sakura gasped as she bolted up the stairs after her old sensei.

But it was too late.

By the time she climbed over the guard rail at the base of the staircase, and up the flight of stairs, Kakashi had already made himself plenty comfortable on her couch in the middle of her room as he propped his feet up and thumbed through one of the discarded magazines he found on her coffee table.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't just barge in and-"

"So, this is where you've been staying?" Kakashi questioned, his eyes never leaving the magazine.

"Yes." Sakura stated flatly as she rubbed the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "This is my home, has been for a long time. Now can you please come back downstairs with me, so I can finish your medicine?"

"But Sakura, I'm not feeling too well, couldn't I just rest here until you're finished?" He pleaded with one large puppy dog eye, no doubt a look he perfected from Pakkun.

_Damn him!_

"_Fine_." Sakura replied tersely as she turned quickly, heading back down the stairwell. "But after I'm done, you'll be on your way, right? You being here is starting to make me… uncomfortable." She muttered as she made her way back downstairs, completely missing the confused look Kakashi hid beneath his mask.

_So I make her uncomfortable, huh?_ Kakashi thought to himself, as he returned the magazine back to the table, eyes roaming about her room now. He couldn't put his thumb on it, but he too felt uncomfortable being here like this, laying amidst the personal space of another friend he thought he had lost long ago.

Looking around the small loft apartment, Kakashi noted the many homemade candles scattered here and there. There were purple ones with sea shells in them, yellow ones with daisies in them, red ones with wax hearts, all placed randomly along the mantle of her fireplace in front of the coffee table. Moving in for further inspection, he curiously picked up a red one, noticing the heavenly smell of clove as he held it up to his mask-covered nose. Smiling to himself as he returned the candle to it's spot on the mantle, his eyes skimmed over the rest of her products of boredom. He had to admit it, it was nice finally knowing what kind of hobbies Sakura enjoyed in her spare time. In the few years they knew each other before she had left, he could have never even tried to guess what kind of activities she partook in during her down time. He had always kept everyone at a distance… even his own teammates, Sakura even more so. With that thought stinging just a bit more than it should, he decided to move his search along.

As he sauntered over to the left the fireplace towards her desk in the corner, he noted a plethora of stacked shoeboxes. His snoopy ways getting the better of him, he decided to take a peek inside a few of them. One after another, he revealed that each one was filled to the brim with sea shells and sea glass, a slight chuckle leaving his throat as he was well impressed with her extensive collection. Looking around the rest of the desk now, Kakashi's eyes darted left to right, still not finding any sort of photographs or picture frames that would give a little more insight into what she's been doing out here… or whom, Kakashi wondered silently.

What he did find were many necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry laying haphazardly on the desk, some even looked to be brand new, still sheathed in their boxes. _Women and their jewelry obsession_, he thought shaking his head in stereotypic disbelief. Picking up a necklace that appeared to be broken, upon further inspection he could see that it was, however, a work in progress. They weren't new at all, and judging by the braided palm frond chain and the painted scene on the polished sea glass pendant, he could tell Sakura had become quite the crafty crafter.

_Interesting indeed._

Making his way over to her plush queen sized bed against the far left wall, he laid down, stretching out across the merlot colored duvet, placing his hands over his face, trying to quell the insistent throbbing. He really wasn't feeling well now, but it had become quite the surprise running into her here of all places. Kakashi wasn't one to indulge in the silly idea of fate, but something about their meeting like this just seemed like it was _meant_ to happen.

Before this crazy thought made it any further, he looked around for a clock, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be on a mission. Looking over at the nightstand to his left, Kakashi noted it was barely after noon. What was he to do now? The sea faring band of missing nin had escaped and his only mode of transportation was lying at the bottom of the ocean right now, and the bug he caught in the questionable water was making him slowly hate the thought of being alive, draining him of almost all of his chakra.

Sighing, Kakashi rolled onto his side, kicking off his still soggy shoes and removing his flak jacket, getting comfortable, noting the heavenly scent of Sakura's cucumber shampoo that lingered on her pillow. _She even smells beautiful_. Eyes shooting wide open as that thought crossed his mind, Kakashi wondered why he was entertaining these kinds of thoughts about his former student. He wondered why he cared so much after seeing her. Maybe it was because he never thought he'd see her again, or maybe his fever was making him overly sentimental.

Shooing the idea from his swarming head, Kakashi repositioned the pillow in the hopes of catching a quick nap and feeling more like himself when he awoke. Before drifting off to sleep, Kakashi neurotically checked the clock once again, but his attention was piqued as he noticed a cluster of candles shoved behind her alarm clock, all three of them dusty and unburned. Sitting up on his elbow, Kakashi reached for the three candles, unlike the others, these were unique in their color, one orange, one blue, and one white. He giggled a bit at the cute emoticon faces Sakura had painted on them, noting that the white candle lacked any sort of mouth, only adorned with a pair of eyes, one being covered by an eyepatch. Not being able to stop himself, Kakashi laughed aloud as a smile erupted across his face as he looked at the angry blue and goofy orange faced candles.

She had missed them.

Amused at her attempt to keep them close to her, Kakashi still couldn't quell his beaming smile as he felt a rush of something akin to endearment. He was even amazed that she had also scented the candles, Naruto's being reminiscent of a hot bowl of ramen, smelling of miso and chives, and Sasuke's of course smelled like his favorite vegetable, tomatoes. But he wondered about his own candle. To Kakashi, it smelled like pine trees and freshly cut grass, but he was left a little confused as to why she chose those particular scents for him, recalling nothing in the past that would have ever lead her to the conclusion that he favored pine trees or grass. But with the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs, Kakashi dropped that question as he hurriedly placed the candles back in their designated home and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

As she reached the top step, Sakura halted as soon as she saw his slumbering form curled up on her bed. Sighing to herself, she quietly padded her way to the bedside, setting down his bowl of soup and pulling the comforter up and over Kakashi, pausing for a moment as her gaze lingered upon his forehead that was starting misted with sweat.

Fearing his fever had worsened, Sakura twisted her mouth in thought before tip toeing over towards the bathroom to retrieve a cold washcloth. As she walked back over towards Kakashi, she knelt down at the bedside as she slowly and carefully dabbed away the sweat with the cold compress as best she could without disrupting his rest. Even in the slight darkness of her room, Sakura could see the sweat beading through Kakashi's ever present mask, and as she gathered her courage, she lifted her hand and slowly removed his headband that covered his Sharingan. As the headband was slowly peeled away, Sakura let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, placing the discarded cloth on the nightstand beside her. Dabbing his now exposed forehead, Sakura rolled her eyes at her daft ex-sensei as she glared at the infernal mask, wondering now, more than ever, what was hidden beneath that damned mask.

Gulping rather loudly, Sakura slowly lifted her hand, inhaling slightly as her fingertips traced the top seam of the mask running over the bridge of his nose and hooking her forefinger beneath the fabric. Pausing slightly, as if trying to convince herself to continue, Sakura's closed her eyes tight in anticipation, missing the fact that a pair of mismatched eyes now watched her every move. Giving a slight nod to herself, Sakura slowly pulled the mask down, gasping sharply as a hand grabbed her wrist firmly, keeping her from revealing more than the top portion of his nose. Her eyes shooting wide open in shock, Sakura froze as they awkwardly stared at one another in silence.

"Glad to see you're still just as curious" Kakashi remarked, still holding onto her hand tightly.

"I-I… um… was jus-"

"Mm hmm… I know exactly what you were up to Sakura-chan" Kakashi teased, "…and no dice. The mask stays."

"Really, Kakashi… why do you even bother with that mask anyway. What exactly is it that you are so determined to hide?" Sakura questioned as she leaned in closer.

"Hmm… What do _you_ think I'm hiding?" Kakashi inquired as he finally released Sakura's arm and adjusted his mask back into place.

"Well, I have my theories. Either you have one bad case of halitosis, or you are just too handsome for your own good."

Quirking his head to the side as he lifted a brow in surprise at her theory, Kakashi eyed Sakura amusingly. Bad breath was a new one, he had never once heard anyone suggest his determinate mask-wearing was due to oral hygiene, everyone had always just assumed he was deformed in one way or another.

Chuckling lightly, Kakashi tried to sit up against the headboard of Sakura's bed, grunting at the exertion as he felt his body ache all over, protesting his movement. At once, Sakura jumped up and grasped ahold of his shoulders, helping him get repositioned. At their sudden closeness, Sakura stood up straight in a flash as she grabbed the washcloth and hurried back into the bathroom, finding herself suddenly overwhelmed with an odd feeling of nervousness.

Running the rag under cool water, she tried to dissect the rather nauseating feeling eating away at her gut. _Why am I so nervous around him? Is seeing him after all these years really that off-putting?_

Shaking her head at the ridiculous notion, she remained contemplative, trying to evaluate her current predicament. When she had first heard his voice downstairs, she had felt a violent surge of panic as she was reminded that she was a rogue ninja who had defaulted from her home village, but after she had examined him, she felt oddly comfortable.

Apparently seeing her old sensei brought back some fond memories, and it had made her feel safe and secure. It had been so long since she had seen or even talked to anyone remotely familiar, so maybe the warm tingly blanket of nostalgia was only temporary. Satisfied with that answer, Sakura wrung the wash cloth out and made her way back out into her room, sitting on the bed beside Kakashi.

Leaning over his slouched body, she applied the cloth to his forehead, bitting her lip furiously as her nerves consumed her once more. Whatever this feeling was, she was just going to have to suck it up, and focus at the task at hand. He was just another patient.

"You're fever is getting worse, you should really take the mask off."

"Nope."

"Kakashi…"

"Sakura…"

"Ugh, I'm not a child anymore, you should at least _consider_ listening to me."

"I know, Sakura. I am _well_ aware of the fact that you are no longer a child." Kakashi added seriously as he watched her in all seriousness as she continued chewing on her bottom lip.

"Well then, y-you should be more considerate. Especially since you are mooching free services from me…" Sakura stated with false confidence.

"Services…?" Kakashi implored with bemusement.

"Yes. My services… you know, my medicinal prescribing, attentive bed-side manner, and a place to stay." Sakura stated as she motioned towards the room around them.

"I never asked for any services, and I never said I couldn't pay." Kakashi added in his defense.

Rolling her eyes at his reply, Sakura continued dabbing around his forehead and neck, determined to beat his fever so he can be on his way, and out of her space. She was slowly growing more and more agitated with this man, cursing the day she decided that this city was the city for her, and that she would never have to face her past again. Kakashi was seriously throwing her for one hell of a loop, even in illness, he was still just as incorrigible and annoying as he was the day she left Konoha.

_Some thing's really don't change._

But the longer she thought about it, the more thankful Sakura was for the fact that Kakashi really hadn't changed all that much. Sure he was still annoying, but he had always been a tad bit infuriating at times, and it was usually all in good fun. To be honest, ever since he had walked through her door, she had actually not felt one iota of loneliness while in his presence. Sakura had a few friends around the village, but as a whole, the nightlife and social scene on the pit stop of an island was no where near that of Konoha's. It was quite boring after a hard day's work with no one to go out with, gossip to, or just hang out. Granted Shima was around every now and then to quell her loneliness, but he was always off working. In the past year, she had really only seen her friend a handful of times. She more or less just had to keep herself occupied with crafts or projects to kill the time.

Flipping the rag now, she patted Kakashi's sweat drenched silver locks, pushing them back and out of the way. Looking down at his face, his eyes closed as she continued fending off his fever, she felt a pang of regret for being as callous and unwelcoming as she had been towards him for the better part of the day. Kakashi had really been sick, and she had easily written it off as another excuse of his. But seeing him like this now, she only felt the need to help however she could, for in this moment, he too, had no one else.

"I'm sorry" Sakura muttered in a soft voice.

"Hm? What for?" The drowsy shinobi yawned as he felt his body melt into the bed underneath him under Sakura's healing chakra, it's essence slowly seeping beneath his skin, all the tension leaving his body at once under her cool touch.

"For lots of things… you name it." She mumbled shamefully as she pressed her fingertips lightly into his temples, her reviving chakra working to reduce his fever, "For not taking you seriously when you said you were sick, for arguing with you on the first day we've seen each other in over a decade, and for leaving Konoha without so much as a good bye."

"Sakura…" Kakashi interrupted, wanting to stop the pinkette from berating herself even farther.

"No, Kakashi, you have every right to to be angry with me and to march me straight back to Konoha and-"

"Sakura, stop." Kakashi warned with pleading eyes.

"I just can't understand why you aren't angry or upset… I think I'd almost feel more comfortable around you if you were… but you're _not_."

"And I never will be. If I were in your shoes, I would probably have made the same decision. So, no. I have no intention of taking you back, not after everything you've been through… not now."

At hearing his words, Sakura felt her resolve crumble as his honest gaze penetrated through the sturdy wall she had built around her. Removing her hands from Kakashi's temples, she turned away from him slightly, fidgeting with her fingers as she felt herself tear up. Her eyes watered uncontrollably as memories flared and emotions unraveled, she had always thought of herself as a coward for running away and abandoning everyone she had ever known, she had never thought that someone would actually agree with the decision she made on that torrential night so many years ago.

With her back to Kakashi, Sakura brought her hands up to her face, wiping away a few stray tears, trying her best not to be an obvious cry baby, but as she turned to face him, she was met instead by a pair of warm and firm arms. There, in the darkness of her loft, her and her ex-sensei sat in an intimate embrace, his hands smoothing over her back as she cried into his shirt. All her walls were crumbling, and the only person willing to pick up the pieces was none other than the infamous Kakashi Hatake. If it wasn't for the smell of his clothes and skin, Sakura would have thought she was imagining things. But as the tears fell, she buried her face into him more as his hands smoothed through her hair, loving the comfort he was providing. Sakura sank into his touch, it had been so long since she had let anyone hold her like this, that thought alone giving her more grief as she fought to calm her emotions fearing further embarrassment.

"It's okay, Sakura…" Kakashi soothed, his voice low and steady, "You're not going anywhere. You deserve this life… _your_ life. I would never take that away from you."

Sniffling against the itchy fabric of his vest, Sakura dried her eyes, looking up at him now as she ended their lengthy hug. She could tell by the seriousness of his gaze that he had meant every word he said to her, she trusted him, that was certain. She just didn't expect how easy trusting someone from Konoha would be to her again. For the past ten years she had feared the day she was to ever face another ninja, yet one of the most dangerous ninjas, from her very own village no less, sat in front of her, and he couldn't be more harmless. Clearing her throat, her fingertips wiping her cheeks, Sakura locked eyes with her former sensei, her sincerity almost bringing Kakashi to a full blush as she continued staring at him.

"Thank you, Kakashi… really."

"You're welcome." Kakashi responded earnestly, fighting the urge to ruffle her hair like he used to.

At that moment, Sakura stared up at her ex-sensei, her face filled with regret. She hadn't wept about the past since that night on the boat, not once. But as soon as a friendly face showed up, she fell apart. She was disgusted by herself to say the least. The pinkette had felt the need to prove herself since this man walked in the door, knowing full and well he still remembered her as a weakling… and here she was, snotting all over the poor man like a blubbering fool.

Yet the Hatake didn't seem to mind. Sparing her the lecture she was anticipating, only offering the tiniest of comforts. She'd be a liar if she said the hug hadn't helped her, calmed her nerves and made her feel at ease. There was much to be said about a familiar bodily comfort, it made her feel lighter, as if she was floating on the water's surface instead of toiling around in it's undertow. And for the first time that day, she was glad it had been Kakashi who walked through that door, unsure if anyone else would make her feel as secure as she felt at that moment.

Opening her mouth to say something, she closed it quickly, teeth clamping down on her bottom lip in an effort to silence her true sentiments at hearing the man's voice again.

"I missed you too... Sakura."

_It was the truth._

* * *

*****A/N: The song that was mentioned is "Light Years Away" by Mozella. It's one of my faves and is definitely an OTP-worthy song in my book. ;3 *****


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